Job Summary
Join the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a General Aviation Operations Inspector. The FAA is a work environment rich in opportunity, teamwork, and work life balance. Benefits such as weekends off, paid holidays, steady work hours, sick/annual leave, health insurance, and more. Begin a rewarding career with the FAA and be a part of a select group of individuals whose mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.
Major Duties
The Federal Aviation Administration will be participating in the Career Fair during the Lakeland Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, FL from April 14-19, 2026. FAA representatives will conduct interviews that are pre-scheduled and by appointment only. For consideration, apply to this announcement. If found qualified, a FAA representative may contact you with additional instructions for in-person interview. Attending the Expo is not required to apply nor to be considered for this position. All applications will be reviewed and proceed through the standard selection process. A Recruitment Incentive of $25,000 may be offered to applicants with a signed three-year FAA Recruitment Incentive Service Agreement. Locations must be considered hard to fill and not all locations are eligible. You will be notified of eligibility in your offer letter. Aviation Safety Inspectors in this specialty (General Aviation Operations) apply knowledge and skills typically acquired as airmen (pilots, navigators, flight instructors, etc.) to develop and administer regulations and safety standards pertaining to the operation of aircraft. Candidate must complete an extensive training program to include formal and on-the-job training up to and possibly 24 months regardless of grade level. Duties at the FG-12 grade level include but are not limited to the following: Examining airmen for initial certification and continuing competence; Evaluating airmen training programs, equipment and facilities; and Evaluating the operational aspect of programs of air carriers and similar commercial and aviation operations for adequacy of facilities, equipment, procedures and overall management to ensure safe operation of the aircraft. Duties at the FG-11 grade level include but are not limited to the following: Assisting in enforcement investigations and preparation of final reports and recommendations on disposition; and Providing assistance in the evaluation of air carriers, air agencies air operators. Duties at the FG-9 grade level are closely supervised and include but are not limited to the following: Assisting in evaluating training programs to ensure that they meet the requirements of the FARs under close supervision; and Assisting in the re-examination of certificated airmen or recertification of an operator or agency. Aviation Safety Inspectors (General Aviation Operations) may perform a variety of other inspections, investigations, and advisory duties; however, the primary requirement for positions in this specialization is knowledge and skill in the operation of aircraft. Candidate will be required to participate in the flight program as an aircrew member and, as such, must meet the medical and flight currency requirements as set forth in agency orders governing the operation of aircraft. Inspectors are required to travel frequently and to occasionally work irregular duty hours.
Education
High school diploma or equivalent.
Requirements
We are not accepting applications from noncitizens.
Evaluations
IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.
How to Apply
Applicants may be required to complete one or multiple assessments as part of the evaluation process. This assessment aims to evaluate the competencies and qualifications essential for the position. RESUMES ARE LIMITED TO TWO PAGES. IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC AND INCLUDE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION. We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information: Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job) Relevant work experience: should align to the Job Announcement and address all required qualifications and include job title, employer name, start/end dates, number of hours worked per week. Education, certification or licensure: If required, education should include school/institution name, completion date, degree type and GPA. Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible. You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies. Please see this guide, Document Upload Guide, for more information on uploading and re-using the documents in your applications.
What to Expect next
For additional information about the Aerospace Expo: https://flysnf.org/activities/career-fair/ For a list of Flight Standards District Offices: Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) | Federal Aviation Administration If you are contacted for an interview, you will have an opportunity to disclose your specific geographic preferences. Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview. For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide. Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated. All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request. Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.
Required Documents
1. Valid First or Second Class Medical Certificate. 2. Valid Flight Instructor Cert with single and multi-engine airplane and instrument rating ATP or Commercial Pilot Cert with instrument airplane rating. 3. Must possess flying skill as demonstrated in a flight check.
Other Information
We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions. Position may be subject to a background investigation. A one-year probationary period may be required. The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing. Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. On-the-Spot will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. A permanent change of station (PCS) of $10,000 MAY be offered to applicants who meet the criteria in the FAA Travel Policy. This PCS incentive is subject to a twelve-month service commitment. You will be notified of eligibility in your offer letter. Pay rates shown are BASE Pay only. The FAA uses OPM's GS Locality Pay Tables to set locality rates in addition to the base pay offered. The minimum locality rate is 17.06%. THE BELOW LINK PROVIDES ADDITIONAL TIPS to assist in the application process. https://www.faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/aviation_careers/asi/helpful_hints/ The Flight Standards Service utilizes a National Centralized Hiring Process (NCHP) for standardized interviewing, screening, and verification of qualifications and experience of Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) applicants. Interviews will be conducted over the phone or via Zoom to determine whether they possess the necessary qualifications, competencies and personal qualities to successfully perform Aviation Safety Inspector duties. Applicants will be questioned about information on their application and will be required to show appropriate airman certificates, ratings, and pilot logbooks or other appropriate records of flight time to substantiate that the applicant meets the requirements of this announcement. Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA