Aerospace Engineer, AST, Flight Systems Test
John C. Stennis Space Center
Posted: January 15, 2026 (0 days ago)
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Federal Aviation Administration
Department of Transportation
Base salary range: $88,520 - $115,079
Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-12. Expert-level knowledge in field.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
This temporary role involves teaching aerospace engineering topics to new and experienced engineers, focusing on aircraft certification, safety standards, and regulatory procedures for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The position is based in Belgium and supports training programs for FAA staff, industry professionals, and military observers to ensure consistent knowledge and skills in aviation certification.
It's ideal for an experienced aerospace engineer who enjoys instructing others and has a strong background in aircraft safety and engineering principles.
The Training Delivery& Systems Section (AIR-943) conducts job function training and provides professional engineering services concerning the certification, continued operational safety, and/or designee management of aircraft.
To view the complete OPM qualification standard for the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for General Engineer, Series 801, please refer to: General Engineering Series 0801 Basic Requirements: Degree in Engineering.
To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-I, FG/GS 13.
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.
Specialized Experience is: Experience as an Aerospace Engineer in the certification, continued operational safety and/or designee management of aircraft.
This includes understanding and converting procedural requirements into functional design to provide reliable and accurate course development and instruction.
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
Interview: If the Agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed.
If the selection list is shortened to a best qualified list through a comparative process, then the best qualified list shall be considered to be the selection list. Major Duties:
Applies experience and comprehensive knowledge of engineering principles, theories, and concepts to conduct training and provide professional engineering services concerning the certification, continued operational safety, and/or designee management of aircraft.
Develops course material and instructs in the following courses:• Indoctrination of newly employed engineers in the details of acceptable engineering standards and certification procedures related to type certifications of aircraft.
• Standardization of knowledge and procedures used by the FAA engineers, and industry of military observers who are certificating aircraft under the Federal Aviation Regulations.
• Advanced professional training of engineers to qualify them for more complex activities and to keep them abreast of technological advances.
• Familiarization of FAA personnel, other than certificating engineers, and industry and military representatives with the problems, standards and procedures of airframe and component certification.
Provides support to the management team in the preparation and administration of the budget; coordination of staff training and travel administration; program management and planning; workload scheduling; space utilization, resource management; security; property management – accountable items; reports and records as required.
In addition, coordinates the use of resources, such as, rooms and supplies; work schedules; time and attendance, travel orders; tracks suspense items; and provides budget input for the most effective function of the team.
Act as a team meeting facilitator; represents the team to management; and, coordinates the team’s customer relations efforts.
The incumbent exercises independent judgment in meeting objectives and is responsible for technical accuracy of the work accomplished.
Resolves all but unique technical problems without the intervention of management or more experienced engineer.
Broad policies and objectives provide general guidance for addressing issues, but allow considerable discretion to develop new and innovative approaches.
Draws on experience to solve unusual problems and may create new solutions and policy interpretations as the situation requires.
Work is reviewed rarely, typically through status reports and at project completion, to ensure technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity.
Plans and accomplishes highly complex and challenging projects/programs and other work activities under the minimal direction of a manager, project/program manager, team leader, or more experienced engineer.
Serves as a course manager, principal engineer or as a project manager. Works closely with the personnel responsible for course management and may be assigned as a project manager or as a team member.
Conducts necessary meetings, prepares appropriate reports, and keeps management informed of status, problems, and future activities in support of such assignments.
The incumbent maintains technical knowledge, furthers own professional growth, and maintains currency with technological advances within their specialty by participating in programs and engineering activities within FAA and industry.
Participates in annual refresher training at an operational facility to maintain currency.
Possesses a high degree of human relations and communications skills to function as an agency role model for both new and current FAA employees.
Provides assistance to other personnel in the conduct of courses involving airframes structural design, analysis, testing and certification of aircraft and related systems and components.
Participates in conferences of FAA engineering personnel to discuss new developments, changes in regulations, procedures, etc., concerning airframes.
Performs specialized staff functions and serves as technical advisor to management officials.
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