Duties

Summary

About NRO:
NRO Focuses on designing, building, launching, and maintaining America's intelligence satellites. Whether creating the latest innovations in satellite technology, contracting with the most cost- efficient industrial supplier, conducting rigorous launch schedules, or providing the highest-quality products to our customers, we never lose focus on who we are working to protect: our Nation and its Citizens.

For more information about NRO click "Learn more about this Agency" link below
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The NRO will make selections at the GG-14 level for this position

FOR CURRENT CIVILIAN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES APPLYING PLEASE SEE THE QUALIFICATIONS SECTION BELOW.

As a GENERAL ENGINEER you will be responsible for the following duties:

• Formulates, evaluates, nurtures, and promotes the generation and exchange of new theories, concepts, principles, methods, applications, and practices.
• Serves as an authoritative expert and consultant on a broad program, a highly specialized field, or for assignments which affects national or international interests.
• Manages issues and risks to balance lifecycle cost, schedule, and technical performance.
• Conducts technical analyses and field and/or laboratory work to achieve desired products or services.
• Makes decisions and executes and/or directs actions exploring, reconciling, and resolving major uncertainties, unique situations, obscure problems, or conflicting objectives typically resulting f from the abstract nature of the concepts or the existence of serious conflicts among scientific requirements, technological developments, standards, program direction, and administrative requirements.
• Evaluates the value and applicability of new or improved technology, strategies, trends, or applications.
• Provides expertise and advice on program planning and policy-making functions covering a broad range of engineering, architecture, or scientific programs.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - May be required to travel CONUS and OCONUS in military or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a US citizen
• SELECTIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENT: Male born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. For more information please visit: https://www.sss.gov/ http://www.sss.gov
• Resume and supporting documents received by 11:59PM EST will be considered
• This is a Drug Testing designated position
• Position is a (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 1601
• Must obtain/maintain Critical Sensitive TS/SCI clearance w/polygraph
• WORK SCHEDULE: Full Time
• OVERTIME: Occasionally
• TOUR OF DUTY: Flexible
• PCS (Permanent Change of Station): Not Authorized.
• FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA): Exempt
• FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Required
• TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position is NOT telework eligible
• SELECTIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENT: For more information please visit: https://www.sss.gov/
• Incentives (Recruitment/Retention/Relocation): Y (may be eligible)
• DAWIA: This is a Defense Acquisition Work Improvement Act (DAWIA) position

Qualifications

This position is a Senior Level DCIPS position. DCIPS Senior Level positions include GG-14. The NRO is accepting applications from both current Federal Government employees and non-Federal Government employees for this position. Federal government employees, who are currently at a GS/GG-14 or equivalent level may ONLY apply for a lateral reassignment at their current grade level, and step.

**Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade IAW DoDI 1400.25 Volume 2006.

This position has a Basic Requirement for the series:
A. Degree: Engineering: To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

NOTE: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.

*NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

The experience described in your resume will be evaluated and screened from the Office of Personnel Management's (OPMs) basic qualifications requirements. See:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf for OPM qualification standards, competencies and specialized experience needed to perform the duties of the position as described in the MAJOR DUTIES and QUALIFICATIONS sections of this announcement by 05/10/2021

Applicant must have directly applicable experience that demonstrates the possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary for immediate success in the position. Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is typically in or directly related to the work of the position to be filled. Experience must be reflected in your resume.

Specialized experience required for this position is:

• Knowledgeable in engineering or related engineering/technical discipline, concepts, theories, principles, and concepts of development, execution, and advisory services of electronics/microelectronics computing platforms.
• Ability to apply diagnostic and qualitative techniques sufficient to produce authoritative analytical products (such as test plans and final reports) and ability to employ new methodological approaches to analyze information.
• Familiarity with radio frequency systems engineering principles and architecture.
• Provides program management or technical leadership (i.e. programmatic risk, cost, schedule, and technical reporting) to accomplish the duties and responsibilities of the position.
• Program management of an organizations' mission, roles, functions, organizational structures, and operations, which govern and interface with and /or influence the Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) system acquisition process and integrated life cycle management

Specifically you will be evaluated on the following competencies:
1. Organizational Awareness
2. General Engineer
3. Design and Development Engineering
4. Project/Program Management
5. Systems Acquisition
6. Oral Communication

This position is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA): Acquisition Category S (Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering) Level III and incumbent must meet appropriate certification requirements IAW the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) no later than 24 months after accepting this position. Individual shall maintain, at a minimum 80 continuous Learning Points every 24 months via the services acquisition management system. DAWIA requirements may be located at the Defense Acquisition University website at the following link: http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/CareerLvl.aspx

Education

A. Degree: Engineering: To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

NOTE: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.

*NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

Foreign Education: For further information, click on the following link: FOREIGN EDUCATION

For further information, click on the following link:
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

This position is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA): Acquisition Category S (Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering) Level III and incumbent must meet appropriate certification requirements IAW the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) no later than 24 months after accepting this position. Individual shall maintain, at a minimum 80 continuous Learning Points every 24 months via the services acquisition management system. DAWIA requirements may be located at the Defense Acquisition University website at the following link: http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/CareerLvl.aspx

Additional information

This position is a Senior Level DCIPS position. DCIPS Senior Level positions include GG-14. The NRO is accepting applications from both current Federal Government employees and non-Federal Government employees for this position. Federal government employees, who are currently at a GS/GG-14 or equivalent level may ONLY apply for a lateral reassignment at their current grade level, and step.

**Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade IAW DoDI 1400.25 Volume 2006.

VETERANS PREFERENCE CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL
In accordance with DoD Instructions 1400.25 Volume 2005, veterans preference is not required to be applied when considering candidates with prior Federal competitive or excepted service who have completed a probationary or trial period and have not been separated for cause. Therefore, veterans preference will not be applied to applicants with current federal service, or former federal civilian service meeting the above criteria.

Re-employed Annuitant: This position does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf

All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your latest SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

Other Notes:

• Applicants selected from this announcement may be required to serve a two-year trial period.
• If selected, Federal employees currently serving in the competitive service must acknowledge that they will voluntarily leave the competitive service by accepting an offer of employment for a DCIPS excepted service positions.
• If selected, NON-DCIPS candidates must acknowledge in writing that the position they have been selected for is in the excepted service and covered by DCIPS.
• Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status.
• All applicants must meet qualifications and eligibility criteria by the closing date of the announcement.
• This is not a Delegating Examining announcement.
• This is a DCIPS excepted service announcement.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
National security

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc).

Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

The following documents are REQUIRED
1. Your resume:

• Your resume may be submitted in any format. It must include your name and contact information and support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must contain the dates of employment (i.e.,Month/Year to present").
• For additional information see: What to include in your resume.

2. Transcripts

• This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript
• College transcript(s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain the applicant's name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was AWARDED/CONFERRED , and the list of classes and credits earned.
Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

3. Veteran's Documents

• DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
• In accordance with DoD Instructions 1400.25 Volume 2005, veterans preference is not required to be applied when considering candidates with prior Federal competitive or excepted service who have completed a probationary or trial period and have not been separated for cause. Therefore, veterans preference will not be applied to applicants with current federal service, or former federal civilian service meeting the above criteria.
  

4. SF50

• If applicable, all current and former Federal employees must submit a copy of your latest SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. Failure to provide latest SF50 will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/FourthEstateRequiredSupportingDocumentation%2011-16-2020.pdf?ver=Lgkkn1HW9a8is7V2lyCS2Q%3d%3d

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.