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Posted: February 12, 2026 (2 days ago)

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Interdisciplinary General Engineer/Physical Scientist/ Operations Research Analyst

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Department of Defense

Fresh

Location

Salary

$169,279 - $197,200

per year

Closes

February 18, 2026More DOD jobs →

GS-15 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $123,041 - $159,950

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-14. Senior leader or top expert.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This senior-level job at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency involves leading the development and management of technologies to counter weapons of mass destruction, including planning research, overseeing acquisitions, and coordinating programs for defense capabilities.

It suits experienced professionals with a strong engineering or science background who enjoy tackling complex national security challenges in a team-oriented government setting.

Ideal candidates are strategic thinkers with proven expertise in defense tech and program oversight.

Key Requirements

  • One year of specialized experience at GS-14 level in Counter-WMD and WMD defeat technology development
  • Expertise in applied research, advanced technology development acquisition planning, and programmatic oversight
  • Proficiency in planning and coordinating complex portfolios of capability development efforts, including resourcing and program management
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program, or equivalent combination of education and experience meeting Individual Occupational Requirements for series 0801 (Engineering), 1301 (Physical Sciences), or 1515 (Operations Research)
  • Demonstrated knowledge of physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, with practical application to engineering branches
  • Professional engineering registration, licensure (e.g., PE, EIT), or successful passage of the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (preferred for qualification)

Full Job Description

This position may be filled using Direct Hire Authority: Z5CAV/Direct-Hire Authority (Certain DoD Personnel) PL 118-31, Sec 125OB (i)(2), 12/22/2023.This position is being filled under the memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) "Expansion of Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense," dated August 12,2024.

This position is part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. You may qualify at the GS-15, if you fulfill the following qualifications: A.

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service: Utilizes expertise in Counter-WMD and WMD defeat technology development, and in the broader defense capability development ecosystem; Applies expertise in Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development acquisition planning, practices, and programmatic oversight; Demonstrates expertise in the planning and coordination of a complex portfolio of capability development efforts in support of operationally relevant technologies, to include resourcing, acquisition, and program management practices.

(Specialized experience must be clearly demonstrated in your resume) 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.

**In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for either the 0801, 1301, or 1515 series. A.

For Engineering series 0801- 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.

For Engineering series 0801 - 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 registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3.

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. 4.

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.

(The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.) OR C.

For Physical Scientist series 1301 - Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

(Must provide transcripts) OR D.

For Physical Scientist series 1301 - Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

(Must provide transcripts and experience clearly demonstrated in resume) OR E.

For Operations Research series 1515- Degree: in operations research; or at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics.

At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus.

Evaluation of Education: The primary requirement of operations research work is competence in the rigorous methods of scientific inquiry and analysis rather than in the subject matter of the problem.

Therefore, applicants should have sufficient knowledge of applied mathematics to understand and use the fundamental concepts and techniques of operations research methods of analysis.

In addition, some positions may require knowledge of a specific subject area.

Courses acceptable for qualifying for operations research positions may have been taken in departments other than Operations Research, e.g., Engineering (usually Industrial Engineering), Science, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or Management Science.

Major Duties:

As a Interdisciplinary General Engineer/Physical Scientist/ Operations Research Analyst at the GS-0801/1301/1515-15 some of your typical work assignments may include: Serves as the Senior Portfolio Advisor to the Director of the Counter WMD Technologies Department, and provides department coordination and integration of the acquisition and execution of research, development, test, and evaluation programs aimed at defeating a wide variety of high priority WMD targets.

Provides clear, technically sound acquisition and resource management guidance for capability development portfolio. Incumbent will be required to obtain/maintain acquisition certification.

This will support effective planning and execution of an integrated acquisition strategy for the portfolio. Communicates clearly.

Effectively crafts narrative surrounding CX technical portfolio in meeting Agency and DoD goals and strategies.

Requires understanding broad technical and scientific scope of efforts within CX, and how they align to goals and strategies.

Must effectively convey deep technical knowledge in a manner easily understood by both technical and non-technical audiences.

Collaboratively integrates complex technical programs, comprehensively reviews assigned activities, and provides expert acquisition and resourcing oversight.

Able to plan, conduct, and chair meetings with DoD, Interagency and international partners in support of the broad Counter WMD Technologies portfolio.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 2/12/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 2/13/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: DTRA-26-12885988-DH