AEROSPACE ENGINEER-DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY

Summary

Veterans' preference does not apply to DHA recruitment. Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below for more information. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the Technical Director and senior professional aerospace engineer for the 716th Test Squadron.

Duties

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management. Performs professional aerospace engineering work involved in the application theories, concepts, principles, and processes to the acquisition, development, or sustainment of weapon systems, subsystems, and/or support equipment. Applies expert knowledge and mastery of advanced engineering theories, principles, concepts, standards, and methods to ensure assignment projects remain consistent with program objectives, costs, schedules, performance criteria, and existing policies. Requirements Translation & T&E Planning. Functions as the organizations technical specialist in design and development engineering for critical systems and subsystems. Program Coordination. Performs complex and comprehensive analysis and uses systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approaches to implement, develop, and document projects. Recognizing priorities as well as the urgency of situations, evaluates procedures and employs innovative techniques and methods to achieve goals. Serves as a consultant and technical expert to senior subject matter specialists, agency and/or Department of Defense (DoD) officials responsible for broad program operations.

Qualifications

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, Professional Engineering and Scientific Positions; https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/tabs/group-standards/ BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: 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. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower broadband NH-02, equivalent to the next to lower grade GS-11 or equivalent in the Federal Service. Specialized experience must include experience serving as an aerospace engineer in support of the acquisition, development, or sustainment of weapon systems, subsystems, and/or support equipment. The position is responsible for work related to the integration of aeronautics sciences within the broad arena of aviation. Considered the technical specialist for the organization in aerospace engineering assignments; employee provides technical leadership and management to ensure project/program success. Work encompasses several phases of the life-cycle management process in which the employee guides and evaluates the design and development activities of others. NOTE: You must submit a copy of official transcripts. OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: 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 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.) Ideal Candidate Statement: The ideal candidate is a seasoned engineer or technical subject matter expert with a robust background in military aircraft or weapon systems Test and Evaluation (T&E). They possess a unique ability to bridge the gap between complex engineering concepts and operational execution, translating advanced technical requirements from external research partners into actionable test methodologies. Operating as a critical integration node, this individual is highly collaborative and capable of speaking the language of both theoretical capability developers and hands-on AEDC test squadron engineers. The successful candidate will thrive in a high-velocity environment, applying deep technical acumen to proactively solve customer challenges, forecast future infrastructure needs, and ensure seamless technical advocacy. Ten years test experience with at least 5 in ground test desired. Three years Test Management experience. 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. Knowledge of professional aerospace engineering concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, techniques, materials, and equipment to effectively apply advanced engineering theories, principles, and concepts to project development, execution, and advisory services. 2. Knowledge of development testing and evaluation sufficient to apply experimental theories and new applications to issues and provide technical advice and direction in support of weapon systems, subsystems, and/or support equipment. 3. Knowledge of integrated air-vehicles, ground systems, and support equipment sufficient to plan, design, test, troubleshoot, evaluate, and oversee the development and/or sustainment of aerospace vehicles, systems, equipment, and components. 4. Knowledge of other engineering disciplines and standard acquisition regulations, practices, and procedures. 5. Ability to devise and evaluate criteria, parameters, characteristics, and interrelationships for design approaches, and to assess the impact of new technology on current systems and processes. 6. Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and with technical accuracy, both orally and in writing, as well as work in a professional manner with peers, management, contractors, academia, and other agencies. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Evaluations

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further. APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

How to apply The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/15/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13042544 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.

Other information This public notice is to gather applications that may or may not result in selection. This job announcement may close at any time - apply now! This is an acquisition demonstration project position NH-03 equivalent to a GS-12 to GS-13. Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit