ENGINEER/SCIENTIST
Naval Sea Systems Command
Posted: March 10, 2026 (4 days ago)
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Air Force Civilian Career Training
Department of the Air Force
Location
Salary
$107,446 - $164,301
per year
Type
Full-Time
More Engineering jobs →Closes
This is a temporary developmental role in the Air Force for high-potential engineers, lasting up to 36 months, aimed at building broader skills and leadership experience for future management positions.
It involves hands-on engineering work to enhance technical expertise and perspective in a government setting.
Ideal candidates are experienced engineers with strong potential for executive roles who want to grow in a structured federal program.
Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.
The primary purpose of this position is to provide developmental experience designed to broaden the skills and/or enhance the leadership perspective of an identified high potential manager / executive candidate; it is not a continuing position and assignment duration is NTE 36 months.
In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: Basic Requirements: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: 1.
Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , 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.2.
Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Applicants must have served at least 52 weeks at the NH-03 or higher grade (or equivalent in an alternate pay system) within the Federal Civil Service to be considered for referral.
TIG applies if you are in a current NH position or held a NH position within the previous 52 weeks.
(NH or equivalent in an alternate pay system) KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: 1.
Demonstrated knowledge of development planning, technology maturity assessments, life cycle systems engineering and integration, and the technological foundations for effective development of program technical assessment strategies.
2. Ability to work with customers to assess needs, provide assistance, resolve problems, and satisfy expectations. 3.
Ability to persuade others to accept recommendations, works toward an agreement, and negotiate mutually acceptable solutions. 4.
Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships and to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. 5.
Ability to organize work, set priorities, and determines resource requirements; determine goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinate with other organizations or parts of the organization; monitor progress, and evaluate outcomes.
6. Ability to identify problems and use sound judgment and decisions to generate and evaluate alternatives and make recommendations. 7.
Ability to develop and utilize appropriate data collection techniques. 8. Demonstrated knowledge of the DoD and Air Force acquisition processes. 9.
Ability to estimate technical scope to include cost and schedule. Demonstrated ability in technical or engineering environments. 10.
Graduate level education in systems engineering, cost analysis, technical planning and assessment or related areas and a master's degree in a technical/engineering specialty or equivalent experience in high tech product development and life cycle management is preferred.
Major Duties:
DUTY 1 Performs Career Broadening assignments involving initiating and developing Air Force policy and recommends approval and implementation.
Exercises considerable influence over policies, programs, and develops policies and procedural aspects for Science & Technology (S&T), acquisition and standardization programs.
DUTY 2 Represents the U.S. Department of Defense, Air Force, SAF/SQ, and Division as appropriate.
May include serving as the United States representative on DoD, intergovernmental, international treaty, coalition partners, or nongovernment organizations.
Initiates actions and interacts with officials throughout Government and Industry science, technology and engineering communities to assure that policy, procedures and guidance documents effectively support Defense and Air Force needs.
DUTY 3 Determines requirements to be satisfied by planning, analyzing and interpreting results of technical evaluations, where precedents are not directly applicable.
Serves as focal point for planning and developing recommendations for programs of record.
DUTY 4 Independently carries out special projects and assignments designed specifically to meet the broadening intent of the position.
Represents the concerns of the Air Force at meetings and conferences; prepares staff studies and various documents to meet special needs; develops and presents oral presentation; leads and/or serves on steering committees.
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