Chief Engineer

The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Systems Delta 831 (SYD 831) at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California is searching for a Chief Engineer (NH-0801-04, GS 14/15 equivalent).

Description:
As the Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test and Evaluation director for the GPS Systems Delta 831, you will join a dynamic leadership team dedicated to delivering critical Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) capabilities to our warfighters, civil agencies, and allied partners. In this dual-hatted role requiring deep acquisition and test expertise, you will serve as the PNT Chief Developmental Tester across the program portfolio to ensure strategic alignment, while simultaneously leading the Delta's systems engineering, integration, safety, and test and evaluation efforts across the PNT Enterprise in strict compliance with DOT&E, DTE&A, DoT, SAF, and OSD guidelines. Operating with a high degree of independence, you will oversee, organize, and coordinate complex test campaigns across various Department of War (DoW), civil, and Intelligence Community engineering teams for the GPS Integrated Test Team, requiring you to analyze, negotiate, and resolve intricate technical challenges while fostering strong working relationships. Furthermore, you will directly shape the future of the enterprise by managing and developing the civilian workforce, steering their performance and career progression, which demands exceptional oral and written communication skills to synchronize efforts, deliver technically accurate dialogue, and unify government and contractor organizations.

The ideal candidate for this critical leadership role is an exceptional, self-driven leader and strategic collaborator who possesses at least five years of substantial space acquisition and test experience, preferably with direct exposure to GPS systems. They hold a minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering-with a Master's degree preferred-alongside a Level 2-Practitioner Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification in Systems Engineering and/or Test & Evaluation. This individual excels as an independent executor, critical thinker, and meticulous organizer who can plan and coordinate complex efforts with rigorous attention to detail while building, teaching, and mentoring a high-performing civilian workforce. Known for their outstanding communication skills, they translate intricate concepts into clear, concise dialogue to synchronize diverse government, contractor, and multi-agency teams, leveraging previous supervisory experience to resolve complex issues and champion a collaborative, mission-focused culture across the enterprise.

Key Skills and Abilities:
1. Knowledge of a wide range of advanced multidisciplinary professional engineering concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, and techniques to apply experimental theories and new developments to problems not susceptible to treatment by accepted methods, and to plan and execute specialized programs of marked difficulty, responsibility, and significance.
2. Knowledge of the mission, roles, functions, organizational structure, and operation of the DoW, Air Force, and organizations that govern, interface with, and/or influence systems acquisition, development, and/or sustainment, and knowledge of planning, programming, and budgeting cycles, financial systems, and restrictions on expenditure of funds.
3. Knowledge of and skill in evaluating state-of-the-art and advancements in theory, application, technology, and policy affecting systems being developed, and in planning, organizing, and directing the functions and staff in critical aspects of development, production, and/or support of systems, subsystems, or equipment.
4. Knowledge of safety, security, personnel management, and EEO regulations, practices, and procedures.
5. Skill in establishing and maintaining effective relationships, building consensus and coalitions, negotiating, and resolving conflicts with a variety of individuals and organizations as well as communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.
6. Ability to plan, organize, and direct the functions of an organization, and mentor, motivate, and appraise the staff through subordinate supervisors as well as analyze, plan, and adjust work operations of one or more organizational segments to meet program requirements and objectives within available resources.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• This position has been designated for drug testing. Incumbent is subject to random urinalysis testing as a condition of employment.
• A professional engineering degree at the bachelor’s level from an ABET accredited institution is required.
• Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
• Employee must within 30-days of assuming this position and by 31 October annually thereafter, file an OGE-450, “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.
• This is a Critical Acquisition Position (CAP).
• This position is designated a CRITICAL APDP position.
• This is a Key position.
• If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/.
• Depending on the type of position (competitive/excepted) you are selected for, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period.
• Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY): Approximately 15 days per year.
• Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed “Unscheduled Telework”.
• Incentive is not authorized.
• This position will close after 5 business days or 75 applications (whichever comes first).

Qualifications

The 0801 series has an individual occupational requirement that must be met and can be viewed here. In addition to the above requirements you can view the experience level requirements here. Please scroll down to the 4th section titled Professional and Scientific Positions.

How you will be evaluated

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

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies as related to the series and grade of the position being filled. Final qualifications determinations will be assessed based on OPM's General Schedule Qualifications Standards found here:

Interviews: You will be contacted by e-mail and/or telephone if your application is identified as qualifying for a position being filled. An interview may be conducted. If interviewed, you will be asked to address the same knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies used to initially qualify your application for the position.

Resume:You must submit a resume that may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume exceeds two pages or is illegible/unreadable. 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 resume must provide:

1. Personal information - your full name, email and mailing addresses, phone number
2. Education information - the name of the school and the dates you attended
3. Work experience - paid and unpaid work with the following information:
   • Job title
   • Detailed duties and accomplishments
   • Employer's name and address
   • Supervisor's name and phone number
   • Starting and ending dates (If actual dates are not known, provide your best-estimated timeframes.)
   • Hours per week
   • Salary, if applicable
4. Other qualifications - skills, certifications/licenses, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and job-related training courses

College Transcripts (if applicable): Please see the Education section of this announcement for detailed information about transcripts.

Next steps