Aerospace Engineer-Aircraft Icing (Direct Hire) Job

Vacancy No. ACT-AVS-26-AIR-99609 Department Federal Aviation Administration
Salary $95,489.00 to $148,037.00 Grade J to J
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/16/2026 Close Date 7/30/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Lakewood, CADenver, COWashington, DCOrlando, FL
Hapeville, GAChicago, ILWichita, KSBurlington, MA
Kansas City, MOGreensboro, NCWestbury, NYVandalia, OH
Oklahoma City, OKFort Worth, TXDes Moines, WA


Aerospace Engineer-Aircraft Icing (Direct Hire)

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation Safety, Aircraft Certification Service (AIR)

Summary

Serves as an Aerospace Engineer specializing in aircraft icing within Aircraft Certification. 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

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Clarification from the agency

Current or Former Federal Employees; Veterans - EVHO; Also open to former excepted service federal employees eligible under an interchange agreement. Current or former federal employees must have met a one year probationary period or trial period in the competitive or excepted service. Applications will be accepted from preference eligibles and veterans who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least 3 years of continuous active duty service.

Duties

The Aerospace Engineer 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. Applies experience and comprehensive knowledge of engineering principles, theories, and concepts applicable to solve complex aircraft icing problems. Understands and applies new technologies and methodologies to develop improved technical processes. Draws on experience to solve unusual problems and may create new solutions and policy interpretations as needed. Resolves all but unique technical problems without the intervention of management or a more experienced engineer.

Works to ensure standardized application of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness requirements worldwide. Provides policy, guidance, and instruction to others, internally and externally. Develops plans, techniques, and policies to address current or anticipated problems and issues.

Uses cutting-edge engineering analysis and modeling to support safe and effective certification. Develops predictive models that enhance operational safety and inform future FAA policy, certification guidance, and decision-making. Assesses the accuracy and reliability of computational tools used to simulate aircraft icing conditions. Leads efforts to validate these models using wind tunnel data, flight test results, and publicly available datasets to evaluate ice accretion on aircraft surface. Ensures that modeling techniques support certification decisions and align with FAA safety standards.

Considers the objectives of the Aircraft Certification Service and the FAA when developing, 
integrating and implementing solutions to technical issues. Lead the development, refinement, and 
improvement of airworthiness standards, advisory circulars, and guidance materials related to 
aircraft icing and new ice protection systems. Works to ensure these standards reflect current 
industry practices and are applied consistently worldwide.

Interprets and applies knowledge of the aircraft certification process and regulatory requirements 
for aircraft icing in parts 23, 25, 27, and 29 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations. Proposes, 
defines, and oversees research associated with new or novel designs or technologies. Develops 
innovative approaches within broad policy guidance to address emerging technical challenges.

Plans and manages multiple high-priority engineering initiatives related to aircraft icing 
standards and certification. Develops program objectives, sets measurable performance goals, and 
adjusts tasks and timelines to meet changing needs and ensure successful outcomes. Defines, 
organizes, and assigns resources to accomplish organizational objectives. Allocates resources to 
accomplish large work activities within established schedules. Leads the implementation of 
technical programs by coordinating resources, setting milestones, and tracking progress across 
multiple projects. Ensures alignment with FAA safety objectives and adjusts plans as needed to 
respond to emerging issues or shifting priorities.

Frequently works across functional and/or organizational lines. Represents FAA as a senior 
technical point of contact on aircraft icing projects, programs, and inter-agency initiatives. 
Coordinates significant technical matters with representatives of externally organizations. 
Communicates results and policy implications to all levels of the FAA within the Aircraft 
Certification Service, to counterparts in other lines of business such as the Flight Standards 
Service, the Office of NextGen, and to the public. Presents briefings to obtain consensus/approval 
on policies.

Develops strategic responses to safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety 
Board (NTSB) and other internal/external entities. Provides policy, guidance and instruction to others, internally and externally, resolving most technical issues without management.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
  • This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.

Qualifications

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 conducting or supporting wind tunnel tests and flight tests to evaluate ice accretion on aircraft surface and participating in or contributing to the integration and implementation of aircraft icing solutions.

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.

Selection may be made from this announcement or from ACT-AVS-26-AIR-99422.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements


As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the KSAs listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in alphabetical order and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.

This announcement will be used to make selections throughout the AIR organization.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Required Documents

Only supplemental documentation, e.g. transcripts or veteran's documentation will be accepted in combination with your on-line application. These documents must be uploaded OR faxed to 609-485-8995 OR emailed to tara.price@faa.gov on or before the closing date of this announcement. All submitted documents should reference the announcement number.



Applicants claiming eligibility for the Expanded Veterans Hiring Opportunity (EVHO), MUST submit a DD Form 214 reflecting character of service to verify eligibility by the closing date of the announcement as requested by the Human Resource Office. Eligibility for EVHO will be considered based on applicable documentation submitted by the closing date.
This position has a positive education requirement; college transcripts are required for ALL candidates newly appointed to the FAA in the 0800 (Engineering) series.

College transcripts must be submitted from current FAA employees applying for internal vacancies if they have never held a position in the 0800 (Engineering) series with the FAA.

College transcripts are not required from current FAA employees who are currently occupying an 0800 (Engineering) series.

If selected, official transcripts are required prior to employment.

If you are a current or former Federal employee (including a current FAA employee), you MUST provide a copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) containing information in Blocks 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, and 24 so it can be used to verify your position title, series, grade, tenure, and organization of record by the closing date of the announcement. You may fax your SF-50 or upload it into the on-line application. If faxing the SF-50, please ensure you include the vacancy announcement number on the faxed copy.

If you are a current Federal employee and need a current copy of your SF-50, please contact your personnel office. If you are an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system https://eopf.opm.gov/dot/. If you are a former Federal employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF-50 by writing the National Personnel Records Center Annex, 1411 Boulder Boulevard, Valmeyer, IL 62295. Additional information is available from this link: https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/opf.

Expanded Veterans Hiring Opportunity (EVHO) are preference eligibles and veterans who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active service. Applicants claiming eligibility for EVHO, MUST submit a DD Form 214 reflecting character of service to verify eligibility by the closing date of the announcement as requested by the Human Resource Office. Eligibility for EVHO will be considered based on applicable documentation submitted by the closing date.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Applicants may be required to complete one or multiple assessments as part of the evaluation process. This assessment aims to evaluate the competencies and qualifications essential for the position.

You must apply online to receive consideration. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the Close Date for it to be accepted. If you are applying for positions associated with FAA registers, your application must be submitted at the time a referral list is created in order to receive consideration for positions associated with a register.

RESUMES ARE LIMITED TO TWO PAGES. IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC AND INCLUDE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION.

Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)

  • Relevant work experience: should align to the Job Announcement and address all required qualifications and include job title, employer name, start/end dates, number of hours worked per week.
  • Education, certification or licensure: If required, education should include school/institution name, completion date, degree type and GPA.

Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible.

You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies.

Agency contact information

Tara Price
Phone
1 (609) 485-4669
Fax
1 (609) 485-8995
Email
tara.price@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
ACT Regional HR Services Branch
Atlantic City International Airport, Bldg. 300
AHF-N710
Atlantic City, NJ 08405
US

Next steps

Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.

Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.

All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request. Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.

Additional locations

Hapeville, GA
Chicago, IL
Wichita, KS
Burlington, MA
Kansas City, MO
Greensboro, NC
Westbury, NY
Vandalia, OH
Oklahoma City, OK
Fort Worth, TX
Des Moines, WA

Federal Aviation Administration

At the FAA, the sky is not the limit—it is just the beginning. Exciting new opportunities are emerging in aviation and aerospace. Significant investments are advancing the research and development of autonomous vehicles, environmentally friendly electric aircraft, high-speed and long-endurance solar-powered aircraft, and new types of space vehicles. Success with these new technologies and vehicle types will introduce new ways to transport people and goods expanding aviation's footprint in transportation. People are our strength. We are a diverse workforce of over 44,000 located nationwide and spanning over 120 occupations to include air traffic control specialists, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, scientists, technicians, and business professionals. Join us in our mission to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.

Agency contact information

Tara Price
Phone
1 (609) 485-4669
Fax
1 (609) 485-8995
Email
tara.price@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
ACT Regional HR Services Branch
Atlantic City International Airport, Bldg. 300
AHF-N710
Atlantic City, NJ 08405
US

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