Electrical Engineer (CYBER)
U.S. Coast Guard
Posted: January 26, 2026 (2 days ago)
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U.S. Coast Guard
Department of Homeland Security
Location
Portsmouth, Virginia
Salary
$108,019 - $140,426
per year
Type
Full Time
More Engineering jobs →Closes
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 job is for an electrical engineer focused on cybersecurity within the U.S. Coast Guard, involving the design, maintenance, and protection of short-range electronic systems from cyber threats.
It suits experienced engineers with a strong background in electrical engineering and some knowledge of cyber defense, who enjoy working on government projects to ensure secure communications and technology.
Ideal candidates are detail-oriented problem-solvers ready for a senior-level role in a federal agency.
This vacancy is for a GS - 0850 - 13, Electrical Engineer (CYBER) located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, C5ISC SHORT RANGE SYSTEMS BRANCH in PORTSMOUTH, Virginia.
Basic Requirements: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience or substitution of education for experience or combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified.
Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: EDUCATION: A. Degree: 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.
OR B.
Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.
The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration.
For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A.
The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.
Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.
AND To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the federal or private sector.
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.
Examples of specialized experience include performing the following types of tasks on a regular basis.
NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
Specialized experience must include the following: Teamwork: Leading cross-functional technical teams to produce outcomes that meet end user expectations Communication: Communicating with and facilitating responses from senior level management and other stakeholders on engineering activities and technical risks Systems engineering: Applying systems engineering life cycle management principles and processes across multiple complex systems to ensure requirements are documented and met Technical competence: Translating, tracking, and prioritizing needs and collection requirements across the enterprise Technical competence: Conducting audits or reviews of technical systems.
NOTE: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).
Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Major Duties:
You will serve as an Electrical Engineer (CYBER) and be responsible for executing systems and engineering processes to drive development for critical sensors and maritime domain awareness systems.
Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team.
Typical work assignments include: Serving as the System Engineer for complex networked VHF/UHF communications systems, such as Rescue 21, including responsibility for generating technical requirements and specifications based on operational, functional, and non-functional requirements IAW C5ISC standards and practices.
Working with service managers, product owners, and end users to balance and prioritize tasks to meet overall customer constraints and objectives.
Providing guidance and recommendations on radio frequency, mechanical, electrical, computing, and networking considerations affecting VHF/UHF communications systems.
Reviewing and providing recommendations to the Contracting Officer's Representative on engineering and technical contract documentation.
Providing recommendations on configuration item replacements due to End of Life and obsolescence issues.
Mandatory training is required which must be successfully completed and other training may occur as necessary for success in the position. A.
Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers Level I (FAC P/PM-I) or management determined equivalent within two years of entry into the position.
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