Chief Engineer, SYD 85/ BNA

The United States Space Force (USSF) is searching for a Chief Engineer to support SYD 85/ BNA (NH-0801-04, GS-14/15 Equivalent).

Position may be filled at either Los Angeles Space Force Base or Peterson Space Force Base Colorado Springs.

Description:
The United States Space Systems Command (SSC) is searching for a well-qualified candidate to fill the Chief Engineer position to support SYD 85/ BNA. Come join our amazing team who helps to ensure there is never a day without space!

Serves as the senior technical authority for the branch, bearing ultimate responsibility for the architectural cohesion and technical execution of the unified antenna enterprise. This role directs the integration of a sprawling system-of-systems that includes modern cloud-native software ecosystems, physical ground antennas, and legacy infrastructure. The Chief Engineer ensures all components operate seamlessly together to deliver uninterrupted satellite command and control capabilities to the warfighter, driving the transition from pathfinder prototypes to full-scale enterprise production. This position requires strategic decision support, analytical skills, time management and good communication (oral and written) skills.


Ideal Candidate:
Desired Skills/Expertise:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Aerospace, or Systems Engineering, or a related STEM discipline, or equivalent experience in lieu of a degree (master's degree preferred)
- Direct experience with satellite communication (SATCOM) ground segments, telemetry, tracking, and commanding (TT&C) systems, or antenna array architectures.
- The candidate should have significant experience in Microsoft Office tools: Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Word.

Position Responsibilities:
- Direct the system-of-systems integration strategy, ensuring seamless interoperability between the software ecosystem, physical antennas, and legacy infrastructure.
- Maintain architectural alignment across all program initiatives, dictating technical standards for the continuous software development pipeline and the transition from prototype to enterprise production.
- Oversee the long-term technical roadmap, ensuring the platform successfully migrates through its employment and development phases toward a fully platform-agnostic enterprise control model.
- Resolve high-level technical conflicts, manage overarching system requirements, and ensure the unified baseline delivers the required Common Operating Picture (COP) for military satellite operators.


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, clearly, concisely and with technical accuracy both orally and in writing with technical accuracy. Use computers and a variety of software programs and databases, gather and analyze a variety of program information, make sound judgments concerning program progress, and effectively communicate recommendations orally and in writing to higher organizational management and contractors.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S Citizen.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• Safeguards classified or sensitive and/or classified information and/or files.
• Work may require prolonged standing, exposure to the outside elements, and in the immediate vicinity of hazardous areas.
• 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): 20 days a year.
• May be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
• This position is part of the Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP).
• This is a Critical Acquisition Position (CAP).
• Position requires a professional engineering degree at the bachelor's level from an ABET accredited institution is required. Advanced degrees are preferred.
• This position has been designated for drug testing. Incumbent is subject to random urinalysis testing as a condition of employment.
• Employee must within 30-days of assuming this position and by 31 October annually thereafter, file an OGE-450, “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.

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