Working at NHTSA
NHTSA works to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement due to motor vehicle crashes. We do this by advancing innovations that make vehicles safer and by encouraging Americans to make safer choices when they drive, ride and walk. Our goal: An America free from deaths and injuries in motor vehicle-related crashes. Our commitment to safety means including all who share the road — drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike. And it means harnessing the skills and knowledge of a talented and diverse workforce. America is at its best when it draws upon the talents of Americans of all backgrounds.
Jobs at NHTSA
Our Jobs: Variety of Opportunities
Search for Jobs at NHTSA
Our latest jobs are posted at USAjobs.gov.
Search USAJOBSNHTSA’s employees work in a variety of occupations — testing vehicles, keeping car buyers informed, and fighting to get vehicles with defects recalled, working with local law enforcement to keep drunk drivers off the road and enforce safety laws. But there’s one thing all of these occupations have in common: at NHTSA our job is saving lives.
To accomplish our mission of reducing deaths and injuries due to motor vehicle crashes, NHTSA:
Helps make vehicles safer
- Conducts research on how vehicle improvements and other technological advances can better protect people in a crash and reduce the likelihood of crashes.
- Ensures the safety of vehicles and drives innovation by setting safety standards for vehicles under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
- Works to keep vehicles and certain vehicle equipment with safety-related defects off our roads.
- Sets and enforces Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to make vehicles more fuel efficient.
- Enforces prohibitions against odometer fraud and helps to prevent auto theft.
Encourages safer choices on the road
- Provides grants to state highway safety agencies to solve their unique highway safety challenges.
- Works with state and local law enforcement to ensure we all obey the rules of the road.
- Teams with other safety partners to address specific safety challenges, such as drunk and distracted driving.
- Educates Americans about dangerous driving behaviors and things they can do to protect themselves and others.
- Conducts research, demonstrations, and evaluations programs related to driver, passenger, motorcyclist, bicyclist, and pedestrian behavior.
- Collects crash data, analyzes traffic safety problems, and measures effectiveness of safety efforts.
- Supports local Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Application Process
Federal Application Process
All NHTSA job opportunities, including select internship opportunities, can be found on USAJOBS. Once you create your profile, you can search for jobs. It's best to sign into your profile before searching. Why? Your information can be used to improve your job search results. You can also use filters such as location, salary, work schedule or agency to narrow your results.
USAJOBS provides an excellent summary of the federal application process, including how to search for jobs and prepare an application. You can also save a search and set up notifications when new jobs are posted that match your search criteria.
With a USAJOBS profile, you can save jobs, automate job searches, and manage everything you need to complete your application, including resumes and required documents. Keep your information in your USAJOBS profile current and update your account if you change jobs or change employment status.
Federal agencies post job announcements on USAJOBS to advertise their current job openings. While these job announcements can be lengthy, they include valuable information about the job, and it’s important you read each section before applying. Learn more about job announcements at USAJOBS.
USAJOBS also provides a glossary to help you understand the terminology used across the platform.
Whether you’re a current federal employee or new to the Federal Government, your resume is the primary way for you to communicate your education, skills and experience. Federal jobs often require that you have experience in a particular type of work for a certain period of time. You must show how your skills and experiences meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Learn more about what information should be included in your federal resume at USAJOBS.
If you’re a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and were separated under honorable conditions, you may be eligible for veterans’ preference, as well as other veteran specific hiring options. FedsHireVets is an excellent resource for veterans who want to learn more about applying to federal jobs.
• You don't need to create a USAJOBS account to search for jobs, but you must create an account to apply for jobs online.
• Read the This job is open to section to see if you’re eligible to apply.
• Your experience needs to address every required qualification in the job announcement.
• Make sure your resume clear and concise and free from spelling and grammatical errors. Have someone else, with a good eye for detail, review your resume, too.
• Don’t limit your resume to paid work experience. Include relevant volunteer work or community organization roles that demonstrate your ability to do the job.
• Use numbers, percentages or dollars to highlight your accomplishments.
• Read the job opportunity carefully to make sure you have included all required contact information and documentation.
• Read FAQs on USAJOBS
NOTICE: Individuals considering employment with NHTSA need to be aware of certain ethics requirements that apply to federal employees. There is a one-year “cooling off” period during which a new federal employee may not work on a matter that involves the employee’s previous employer. In addition, depending on the job, an employee may be required to sell certain assets (such as stocks) that would present a conflict of interest with the work the individual would perform. Details about these restrictions are available in this letter: Information about Ethics Obligations of Employees Entering Federal Service.
Search for Jobs at NHTSA
Internships at NHTSA
The valuable experience provided by federal internships gives students more insight into possible careers in the public sector and makes them better candidates when pursuing future jobs. Learn more about internships at NHTSA.