U.S. Department of Transportation

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), works within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to promote efficiency and effectiveness, and prevent or stop waste, fraud and abuse in departmental programs. The Inspector General Act of 1978 gives the OIG autonomy to do its work without interference. OIG carries out its mission by issuing audit reports, evaluations, management advisories, and other products with findings and recommendations to improve Department performance.

This position is located in the DOT-OIG economics group, which both produces its own research reports and consults on economic issues arising in audits throughout the agency. The group’s work has encompassed a wide range of transportation-related topics, examples of which include: effects of the tarmac delay rule on airline cancellations, impacts of detention time on commercial motor vehicle operations, effects of competition on airline service quality, efficiency of air traffic control towers, causes of Amtrak train delays, high-speed rail forecasting methods, and review of toll road revenue forecasts. DOT-OIG economists are required to maintain their skills through continuing education courses and attending economics conferences. In addition, they have published and are encouraged to publish their work in peer-reviewed journals.