General Engineer

Naval Air Systems Command • Patuxent River, MD

2d

About The Position

Serve as the Senior Engineering Lead Assistant Program Manager for Systems Engineering (APMSE) for Tactical Communications and Networks (TCN) of the F/A-18 and EA-18G Weapon Systems. The position is in the Systems Engineering Department, Air Platform Systems Engineering Division, PEO(T) Program Branch of NAVAIRWARCENAC DIV.

The role is responsible for acquisition, development, test and evaluation, qualification, certification, airworthiness, safety, performance, and sustainment of the aircraft tactical communications and networks. It maintains awareness of current and future system capabilities, problems, and demands, and provides technical planning for program development, engineering, and evaluation. The engineer integrates cost estimates and program plans into acquisition POM and budget, develops and directs contract engineering specifications, evaluates technology for applicability to the program, recommends technical changes, and establishes engineering development objectives for current and long-range programs.

The position requires specialized systems engineering experience, professional engineering education or an accepted alternative qualification, U.S. citizenship, suitability for federal employment, security clearance eligibility, drug testing, and compliance with Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certification and continuous-learning requirements. Travel to CONUS and OCONUS locations may be required, including travel to remote or isolated sites and extended travel on military or commercial aircraft.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen and determined suitable for federal employment.
• Must participate in the direct-deposit pay program.
• Must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements when applying as a current federal employee for a GS position.
• Must obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance before entering duty; failure to maintain the required clearance may result in withdrawal of an offer or removal.
• Must meet Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certification requirements for the assigned functional area and tier, including Continuous Learning points, within established timeframes.
• Must pass pre-employment drug testing and is subject to random testing.
• Must be able to travel from the normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS locations, potentially including remote or isolated sites, and travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods.
• At least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to GS-12/13 or DP-04 in federal service or equivalent private- or public-sector experience.
• Specialized experience must include serving as a principal systems engineer or technical authority directing multidisciplinary teams through the system lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through integration, verification, and validation.
• Specialized experience must include establishing and executing technical reviews and risk-management strategies, and system safety or airworthiness certification processes supporting program milestones.
• Specialized experience must include advising senior leadership on technical decisions, resolving major engineering bottlenecks, and managing complex interfaces across hardware, software, and test environments.
• Specialized experience must include assessing technology and system concepts for requirements and fleet operational needs during development and design of new systems.
• Specialized experience must include guiding engineering and other personnel on Requests for Proposals, Type Specifications, Procurement Requests, and Acquisition Plans.
• Must meet the professional engineering education requirement through an ABET-accredited engineering bachelor's degree or higher, qualifying engineering coursework, engineering registration or licensure, passing the FE or equivalent written examination, at least 60 qualifying semester hours, or an accepted related scientific bachelor's degree plus qualifying professional engineering experience.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
• New Department of the Navy employees must successfully complete the E-Verify employment verification check.

Responsibilities

• Oversee acquisition, development, test and evaluation, qualification, certification, airworthiness, safety, performance, and sustainment of the F/A-18 and EA-18G tactical communications and networks.
• Maintain knowledge of current and future system capabilities, problems, and demands.
• Provide technical planning for program development, engineering, and evaluation.
• Integrate cost estimates with program plans, including schedules, development requirements, testing and evaluation requirements, and projected problems, into acquisition POM and budget.
• Develop and direct contract engineering specifications defining system requirements and parameters.
• Evaluate technological developments for applicability to the assigned program and recommend technical changes throughout the design process.
• Develop project planning objectives for engineering development of current and long-range programs.
• Direct multidisciplinary engineering teams through system lifecycle activities, from requirements definition and architectural design through integration, verification, and validation.
• Establish and execute technical review frameworks and risk-management strategies, and support system safety or airworthiness certification processes.
• Advise senior leadership on strategic technical decisions, resolve engineering bottlenecks, and manage complex interfaces across hardware, software, and testing environments.
• Assess whether available or imminent technology can meet requirements and whether system concepts fit fleet operational requirements.
• Guide engineering and other functional-division personnel on Requests for Proposals, Type Specifications, Procurement Requests, and Acquisition Plans.

Benefits

• Federal employees receive access to a comprehensive benefits package for themselves and their families; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.

What This Job Offers

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