Chief Engineer, SYD 81

The United States Space Force (USSF) at the Pentagon, DC is searching for a Chief Engineer for SYD 81 (NH-0801-04, GS-14/15 Equivalent).

Description:
The U.S. Space Force is advancing a high-visibility transformation of its human resources information technology environment. We seek a mission-focused, technically credible NH-IV Chief Engineer to serve as the senior engineering leader for this effort-establishing the systems engineering discipline, technical governance, and integration approach needed to deliver secure, interoperable, data-driven HR capabilities. This is an opportunity to lead the delivery of first-of-its-kind HR capabilities for the nation's newest military service. Leveraging modern commercial software products and cloud-based data solutions, the program is helping modernize the HR experience for Guardians, civilian employees, commanders, and HR professionals while strengthening the Space Force's ability to operate as a data-driven force.


Ideal Candidate:
The ideal candidate is a highly driven, mission-focused engineer with experience leading complex cloud-based data and software solutions from concept through implementation and operational sustainment. The successful candidate brings technical depth in cloud data management; data lake, data-service, and data-stack development and implementation; enterprise cloud adoption; operational software delivery; and data interface management.

You are a systems thinker who understands that successful modernization is more than deploying software. It requires purposeful integration of people, processes, data, architecture, security, interfaces, and operational outcomes. You can turn mission and user needs into actionable technical requirements, viable architectures, release plans, and measurable performance objectives.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to:
- Review and assess cloud, data, and system architectures and identify practical opportunities to improve performance, integration, scalability, security, and sustainment.
- Establish and lead rigorous systems engineering processes that improve technical decision-making, requirements traceability, risk management, testing, and delivery outcomes.
- Manage complex data interfaces, system dependencies, integration risks, and technical tradeoffs across multiple teams and stakeholders.
- Guide teams through agile delivery while preserving the engineering rigor needed for reliable, secure, and supportable enterprise capabilities.
- Lead and manage testing programs that verify systems meet requirements and are ready for operational use.
- Communicate complex technical concepts, strategies, risks, decisions, and work plans clearly to senior leaders, functional experts, acquisition partners, developers, cybersecurity personnel, and operational users.
- Operate effectively across geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary teams and create alignment among stakeholders with competing priorities.
- Apply sound engineering judgment, a bias for action, and a commitment to delivering technically achievable solutions that advance the Space Force mission.


Knowledge, Skills & 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 DoD, 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

• Must be a U.S Citizen.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret /SCI security clearance.
• Safeguards classified or sensitive and/or classified information and/or files.
• This position is designated as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Testing Program.
• Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed “Unscheduled Telework”.
• This position will close after 5 business days or 75 applications, whichever comes first.
• May be required to perform travel by military or commercial passenger aircraft in the performance of temporary duty assignments.
• PCS / relocation funding is authorized and may be made available.
• Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY): 15 days a year.
• May be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
• Position requires a professional engineering degree at the bachelor's level from an ABET accredited institution is required. Advanced degrees are preferred.
• The employee must meet the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) requirements applicable to the duties of the position.

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