Public Notice for Air Traffic Control Specialist (Direct Hire)

Summary This is a public notice for direct hiring authority for Experienced Air Traffic Control Specialists, 2152 series positions. These positions are responsible for controlling live air traffic in support of public safety and our national air space. This announcement will serve as a resume repository that may be used to fill positions. Qualifications SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: ALL APPLICANTS MUST POSSESS A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST 52 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL EXPERIENCE INVOLVING THE FULL-TIME ACTIVE SEPARATION OF AIR TRAFFIC, AFTER RECEIPT OF AN ATC CERTIFICATION OR FACILITY RATING WITHIN 5 YEARS OF APPLICATION WHILE SERVING AT: a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility; OR a civilian or military air traffic control facility of the Department of Defense and any National Guard Facility; OR a tower operating under contract with the FAA under section 47124 This experience must have demonstrated possession of the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the level of work. This experience must have provided a comprehensive knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations and procedures governing the movement of air traffic; knowledge of aircraft separation standards and control techniques; and the ability to apply them properly, often under conditions of great stress. Applicants MUST submit copies of certifications prior to the closing date of the announcement. (The 52 weeks of consecutive, certified experience cannot include any FAA Academy or military training time prior to certification, as this is not considered "live" air traffic) and must have been within 5 years of application. Applicants should include examples of specialized experience in their Work History. Work history and supporting certificate(s) MUST support the applicant performing as an ATCS for a minimum of 52 consecutive weeks following the issue date of the certification. Applicants MUST document hours per week within their work history/resume (full time experience is credited as 40 hours per week, part time hours will be pro-rated based on 40 hrs per week). There is no educational substitute for the required 52 weeks of specialized experience. Age Requirements: Notwithstanding section 3307 of title 5, the maximum limit of age for an original appointment to a position as an air traffic controller shall be 35 years of age for those maintaining 52 weeks of air traffic control experience involving the full-time active separation of air traffic after receipt of an air traffic certification or air traffic control facility rating in a civilian or military air traffic control facility. Maximum Retention Age: 5 U.S.C. 8335 (a) and 5 U.S.C. 8425 (a) require mandatory separation at age 56 in a career controller position. Applicants, who are maintaining 52 consecutive weeks of ATC experience, after receipt of an air traffic certification or ATC facility rating, must be age 35 or below, on or before the closing date of the vacancy. Applicants previously appointed by the FAA or DOD as a civilian 2152, must also include a copy of a Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that verifies original appointment to the civilian 2152 occupational series prior to reaching the maximum entry age of 35. This would be the first Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50/new-hire action into the 2152 series) received. You must provide a copy of this SF-50 prior to the close date of this vacancy. If you were previously a Certified Professional Controller (CPC) or full performance rated (FPL) Controller, please also include an SF-50 that indicates this level of certification. Service Computation Dates (SCDs) cannot be used for maximum entry age verification purposes, as this could include prior military service and/or current or previous federal civilian service in another occupational series. Applicants who are prior Academy and/or field training failures may not be considered. We are not accepting applications from noncitizens. Education There is no educational substitute for the required 52 weeks of specialized experience (52 consecutive, post certified ATC experience within 5 years of application). Requirements We are not accepting applications from noncitizens. How You Will Be Evaluated 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. Required Documents Certified air traffic control experience required; copies of certifications MUST be submitted at time of application. Please include copies of both the front and back of certifications, if applicable. Ex: Pink card with designated facility or position ratings on the back of card, CTO card with designated facility on the back of card etc). Military training records may also be utilized if it documents the type of facility or position rating earned and the date it was received. These certifications/training records must match up with experience documented in your resume/work history in order to verify the required 52 consecutive weeks of air traffic control experience involving the full-time active separation of air traffic after receipt of an ATC certification or facility rating within 5 years of application. Applicants, who are maintaining 52 consecutive weeks of ATC experience, after receipt of an air traffic certification or ATC facility rating, must be age 35 or below, on or before the closing date of the vacancy. SF-50, Personnel Action documentation required prior to announcement closing for validation, see 'Qualifications Required' section for details. How to Apply For additional information on this position, please visit our website via this link: https://www.faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/aviation_careers/experienced_controllers 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. Amendment Date: 01/21/2026 Amendment Note: Updated 2026 salary range.