Electronics Engineer

Department of the Air Force Headquarters • Kirtland AFB, NM

13d

About The Position

This developmental Electronics Engineer position is in the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS), in the 0855 Electronic Engineer series. It may be filled at the GG-09 level with promotion potential to GG-11, or at the GG-11 target grade. The role provides hands-on electronics engineering focused on component evaluation, system validation, and hardware-software integration of test, assessment, and experiment instrumentation equipment. Work includes evaluating, integrating, and sustaining instrumentation and control systems; implementing and documenting circuit designs and PCB layouts; and building, modifying, and testing prototype boards. The position is in the Excepted Service and has a positive education requirement. The employee must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance, pass initial and periodic drug testing, maintain current certifications, and file an annual confidential financial disclosure report. Work may occasionally involve travel, nonstandard hours, shift work, emergency overtime, and operating a motor vehicle with a valid driver's license.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• A professional engineering degree from an ABET-accredited institution at the bachelor's level in Electrical, Electronics, Computer, Mechatronics, or Control Systems Engineering, or qualifying education-and-experience combination under the stated OPM standards.
• For GG-09 qualification, qualifying specialized experience or the specified graduate education: two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree, a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or an acceptable combination of education and experience.
• For GG-11 qualification, qualifying specialized experience or the specified graduate education: three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D., a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or an acceptable combination of education and experience.
• One to five years of professional experience in hardware analysis, electronics integration, or embedded systems testing, as stated in the continued conditions of employment.
• Broad professional knowledge of electronics engineering theories, concepts, and principles sufficient to work on low-voltage circuits and instrumentation.
• Hands-on circuit-debugging experience.
• Proficiency in C/C++ for hardware validation.
• Basic understanding of fundamental electronics, including translating specifications into functional circuits using transistors, operational amplifiers, filters, and power supplies.
• Knowledge of C/C++ for embedded targets to test, read, and evaluate hardware performance.
• Experience with EDA tools sufficient to review, modify, and analyze layouts for signal integrity and manufacturability.
• Ability to use laboratory equipment for hands-on troubleshooting and hardware verification.
• Basic knowledge of configuration management practices for firmware and hardware files, including version control.
• Ability to author and execute test plans and procedures, define acceptance criteria, and document results with requirements traceability.
• Basic knowledge of communication protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, RS-485, and USB, including SPI-based MCU-to-FPGA interfaces and register map concepts.
• Ability to report technical findings clearly and collaborate with mechanical and software teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain current certifications; pass initial and periodic short-notice drug testing; and hold an appropriate valid driver's license.
• Submit college transcripts when education is used to qualify; foreign education must be documented as equivalent to U.S. education.
• Meet applicable federal employment conditions, including selective service registration where required, and complete the applicable probationary or DCIPS trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of radio-frequency principles, including antenna evaluation and impedance analysis.
• Experience with specific EDA tools such as Altium Designer, KiCAD, or Eagle.
• Knowledge of version control and measurement automation or instrument interfaces, as applicable.

Responsibilities

• Write and execute C/C++ code on bare-metal and/or RTOS microcontrollers to generate test signals, validate sensor interfaces, and evaluate hardware logic performance.
• Perform electronics engineering work supporting the evaluation, integration, and sustainment of instrumentation and control systems.
• Analyze, implement, and document schematic captures and PCB layouts, including two- to four-or-more-layer boards.
• Assemble and modify boards, including populating components, to verify circuit functionality.
• Use laboratory equipment to troubleshoot and verify hardware, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and signal generators.
• Automate measurements and analyze test data using scripting, tools, and instrument interfaces as applicable.
• Author and execute test plans and procedures, define acceptance criteria, and document test results with traceability to requirements.
• Report technical findings clearly to non-engineering stakeholders and collaborate with mechanical and software teams.
• Maintain controlled firmware and hardware documentation and records using configuration management practices.
• Operate a motor vehicle as required for the position.

Benefits

• A comprehensive federal employee benefits package is available; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Potential foreign-area benefits, subject to eligibility and approval, may include Living Quarters Allowance or government quarters, Post Allowance, and Home Leave.
• Disabled veteran leave may be available to eligible federal employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level