PD_NTSB_Chair

Position Description

Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board

Overview

Senate Committee

Commerce, Science and Transportation

Agency Mission

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent, nonregulatory agency charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents and promoting transportation safety.

Position Overview

The chairman is the chief executive and administrative officer of the board.

Compensation

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)¹ _{The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.}

Position Reports to

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent agency. Board members serve at the pleasure of the chairman.

Responsibilities

Management Scope

The five-member board is authorized to establish and manage separate offices for highway, marine, aviation, railroad, pipeline and hazardous materials investigations (49 U.S.C. § 1111). The National Transportation Safety Board had a budget request of $106 million for fiscal 2017 and 423 full-time equivalents.² _{http://www.ntsb.gov/about/reports/Documents/NTSB_FY2017_Budget.pdf}

Primary Responsibilities

® Appoints, hires and supervises officers and employees, with the exception of the full-time employees in the immediate offices of another board member
® Fixes the pay of officers and employees as necessary to carry out the board’s statute
® Distributes business among the officers, employees and administrative units of the board
® Supervises the board’s expenditures (49 U.S.C. § 1111)
® Presides over agency hearings
® Testifies before congressional committees
® Accompanies agency investigators in response to major transportation accidents
® Serves as on-scene spokesperson for the agency³ _OPM

Strategic Goals and Priorities

[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration]

Requirements and Competencies

Requirements

® Transportation background
® Previous leadership experience

Competencies

® Strong communication and interpersonal skills and ability to appear before media
® Ability to work under high pressure

Past Appointees

Christopher Hart (2015 to 2017) u2013 Board Member for the National Transportation Safety Board; Deputy Director for Air Traffic Safety Oversight at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); FAA Assistant Administrator for System Safety; Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration⁴ _{http://www.ntsb.gov/news/speeches/CHart/Pages/bio_hart.aspx}
Deborah A.P. Hersman (2009 to 2014) u2013 Senior advisor to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; National Transportation Safety Board Member⁵ _{http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?perso
Id=69355712&privcapId=4772236&previousCapId=4772236&previousTitle=National%20Safety%20Council}
Mark Rosenker (2006 to 2008) u2013 Vice Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board; Safety Board member; Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Military Office⁶  _{http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/Mark_Rosenker_is_New_NTSB_Vice_Chairman.aspx}
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