Director, Investment Planning & Analysis
What you'd do
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is where innovation meets purpose. We ensure the safety and efficiency of the nation's aerospace system, overseeing air traffic, advancing cutting-edge aviation technologies, and shaping the future of flight. Our mission is to deliver the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. Join a team where your work has real impact, your ideas drive progress, and your career helps keep millions moving safely every day.
Major duties
The Director of Investment Planning and Analysis provides enterprise leadership, strategic direction, and executive oversight for the FAA's business case development, benefits estimation, and lifecycle cost analysis functions across all Lines of Business and Staff Offices. The Director ensures the rigor, quality, and credibility of analytical products that inform decisions on major capital investments, including legacy air traffic control infrastructure and next generation air transportation. This executive leads a multidisciplinary organization responsible for developing and validating the analytical foundation that supports the FAA's investment portfolio. The Director manages a $200K operating budget, provides executive financial oversight for all major FAA contracts, and leads a workforce of 30 employees, including seven K-Band managers. The role encompasses leadership of several key analytical and oversight divisions: the Business Case Group, Operations Research Division, Life Cycle Cost Estimating Group, Standards and Guidance Group, and the Acquisition Oversight Division. Principal Duties and Responsibilities: Provides executive oversight of complex projects, programs, studies, and initiatives involving significant technical parameters, economic risk, and schedule analysis. Leads independent business case analyses, benefits assessments, and lifecycle cost evaluations supporting decisions for legacy air traffic control infrastructure. Directs the development of sound business cases for all components and advances analytical methodologies, models, and tools used to evaluate investment alternatives. Oversees independent reviews of cost estimates, benefits estimates, and business cases. Ensures all analytical products meet standards of sufficiency, accuracy, reasonableness, and thoroughness. Provides executive guidance and training to interdisciplinary teams across the FAA on the design, development, and application of methods and tools supporting National Airspace System (NAS) investment analysis. Leads the development, tracking, and evaluation of metrics associated with business case development, cost analysis, independent review processes, and related training initiatives. Conducts independent financial reviews of major FAA contracts, validates investment plans, and assesses early cost and schedule estimates for budget formulation. Evaluates program alternatives by analyzing schedule, cost, benefits, strategic alignment, risk, and economic return. Provides approval recommendations to the CFO and monitors compliance with approval conditions. Partners with the Chief Financial Officer to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including Congress, the national military establishment, Federal agencies, State and local governments, aviation industry representatives, and domestic and international organizations. Ensures investments are cost effective, mission aligned, and responsive to stakeholder needs. Serves as a member of the Capital Investment Team (CIT), Acquisition Executive Board (AEB), and Enterprise Architecture Board (EAB). Contributes to long term strategic planning, ensuring alignment between enterprise goals, investment priorities, and stakeholder expectations.
What you need to qualify
To meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you must clearly articulate and describe within your two (2) page resume evidence that you possess the Executive Leadership Dimensions (ELDs) and Mandatory Technical Requirements (TRs) related to this position. Your resume should include examples of experience and accomplishments applicable to the qualifications. Applicants who do not possess these criteria are ineligible for further consideration. Please do not submit separate documents addressing the Technical Requirements (TRs) and Executive Leadership Dimensions (ELDs), only your two (2) page resume will be accepted and considered. MANDATORY TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS (TRs): TR 1: Experience leading an organization in investment and portfolio analysis, business case development, and operations research modeling to drive strategic decision-making and optimized organizational performance. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DIMENSIONS (ELDs) ELD 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This ELD requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. ELD 2: Driving Efficiency -This ELD involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. ELD 3: Merit and Competence - This ELD involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ELD 4: Leading People - This ELD involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. ELD 5: Achieving Results - This ELD involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Note: Applicants who are current members of the FAA Executive System (FAAES), Career Senior Executive Service (SES), individuals certified through successful completion of an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or those with Career SES reinstatement eligibility are not required to address the Executive Leadership Dimensions (ELDs). Such applicants must provide documentation verifying eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the FAAES (e.g., SF-50, or certification from OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB).
Before you apply
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