Physical Therapist, SLD 30 Job in Vandenberg AFB, CA

Vacancy No. SF-FY26-6S-NH-0633-3-SPLASH Department Space Systems Command
Salary $146,632.00 to $197,200.00 Grade 3 to 3
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/6/2026 Close Date 10/13/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Vandenberg AFB, CA


Physical Therapist, SLD 30

Department of the Air Force
Space Systems Command
United States Space Force / Space Systems Command / Space Delta 30

Summary

Do not email applications. To submit your resume for this Direct Hire opportunity click here.

For additional information on other USSF direct hire opportunities visit the
Air Force Civilian Careers Space Force website and follow USSF on LinkedIn.

Duties

The United States Space Force (USSF) at Vandenberg SFB CA is searching for a Physical Therapist for SLD 305 (NH-0633-03, GS-12/13 equivalent).

Description:
The Guardian Resilience Team (GRT) at Vandenberg Space Force Base is searching for a Physical Therapist (NH-0633-03, GS-12/13 equivalent).

The Guardian Resilience Team's Holistic Health Approach (HHA) is an innovative, science-based approach to wellness that emphasizes total fitness, including continuous physical activity, preventive medicine, and education and skill-building aimed at promoting positive behaviors, healthy climates, and high performance. The goal of the HHA is to optimize overall health and strengthen individual and unit readiness.
As an essential member of the Guardian Resilience Team, the Physical Therapist enhances mission execution through improved musculoskeletal health, injury-risk mitigation, limited-scope physical therapy care, ergonomic optimization, and close collaboration with other GRT members, including the GRT Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and GRT Licensed Mental Health Provider. The incumbent will assist across programs in implementing prevention events, education, and training, leveraging evidence-based approaches that increase efficiencies and buy-in with Service members and civilians. In addition, the incumbent delivers primary and secondary intervention services along with education and training to units, unit physical fitness leaders, and other human performance stakeholders. The GRT Physical Therapist actively partners with relevant stakeholders to identify collective goals, conduct needs analyses, and optimize Guardian and unit performance.

The ideal candidate is an adaptable, highly collaborative professional who excels within integrated, multidisciplinary teams. They possess strong emotional intelligence and are adept at building relationships and garnering buy-in with a variety of stakeholders, including service members, units, and command teams. The ideal candidate is dedicated to evidence-based practice, proactive injury mitigation, and holistic health.

Substantive experience in sports medicine, professional or collegiate athletics, or embedded military teams is strongly preferred.

Key Skills and Abilities:
1. Graduate of an accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, pass National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE), be licensed to practice physical therapy in any state and at least 3 years of experience. Additional certifications such as dry needling and manual therapy desired but not required.
2. Knowledge of planning, implementation, and assessment techniques and principles as they apply to the physical therapy/human performance programming and education, sufficient to serve as training resource advisor/consultant.
3. Knowledge of operational concepts and missions sufficient to understand, plan, deliver and evaluate/analyze physical requirements and how rehabilitative and injury-risk reduction strategies can affect mission readiness and capabilities.
4. Knowledge and experience in the specialty of Lifestyle Medicine, its foundations, and application as a primary modality to prevent, treat and often reverse chronic disease.
5. Knowledge and skill in using of state-of-the-art computer-based software and other instructional/evaluative material, wearable technology, current and highly specialized human performance/rehabilitative equipment, facility recommendations and practices, training aids and devices applicable to program objectives, training effectiveness, and efficiency.
6. Knowledge of medical conditions and terminology as well as of human behavior change theories, motivational strategies, and counseling techniques to resolve the most difficult problems associated with uncooperative or unmotivated Guardians necessary for rehabilitation.
7. Skill in data analysis, fact finding, problem analysis, problem resolutions, and development of concrete action plans to solve problems.
8. Skill in written and oral communication to advise, counsel, influence and make recommendations to management officials concerning medical, health, and administrative aspects of the Human Performance and Holistic Health Assessment


Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
  • Safeguards classified or sensitive budget-related information and/or files.
  • May be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
  • 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.
  • Employee 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.
  • This position must have a working knowledge of government policy and regulations associated with safeguarding PII and HIPAA information.
  • Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY): Approximately 15 days per year.

Qualifications

The 0633 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.

Additional information

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.

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.

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.

Required Documents

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.

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

Do not email applications. To submit your resume for this Direct Hire opportunity click 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.


Agency contact information

US Space Force Enterprise Talent Management
Email
HQ.USSF.TalentAcquisition@spaceforce.mil
Address
USSF - Space Systems Command
1670 Space Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330
US

Next steps

For additional information on other USSF direct hire opportunities visit the Air Force Civilian Careers Space Force website and follow USSF on LinkedIn.

Space Systems Command

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) will be used to form a pool of qualified applicants who will be considered for direct hire vacancies as they become available.

To learn more about the United States Space Force Mission click here

Agency contact information

US Space Force Enterprise Talent Management
Email
HQ.USSF.TalentAcquisition@spaceforce.mil
Address
USSF - Space Systems Command
1670 Space Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330
US

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