Duties

• Performs applied research and development across the multi-spectral (Radio Frequency (RF) and electro-optical (EO)) domain for sensing and effects.
• The work involves the exploitation of basic scientific knowledge through development of a concept, definition of critical features and problems, development of a prototype design, and testing and evaluation of the concept for a completed product.
• Conducts studies and analyses of scientific/engineering research through modeling and simulation and/or in the laboratory to determine the feasibility of various advanced engineering approaches for future programs.
• Generate reports, identify trends, and/or make recommendations for Science and Technology development.
• Responsible for the development of advances in the state-of-the-art and creation of new or substantially improved end items in the form of software, algorithms, hardware, processes, procedures and techniques.
• Employee is expected to work in one or more of the technical specialties within the domain independently under general supervision as a mature and fully responsible individual.
• Plans and carries out assignments for complete projects that entail a variety of complicating and interacting factors including relationships with other engineering specializations and in consideration of the complete development cycle.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Pursuant to EO 14043, all Federal employees, regardless of duty location or work arrangement, must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by November 22, 2021, or before entrance on duty if after November 22, subject to exceptions as required by law.
• If selected, the agency will provide information regarding what documentation is needed and how to request any legally required exceptions from this requirement.
• Proof of vaccination will be required. To ensure compliance with this mandate, review the vaccination requirements, to include timelines for receiving required doses, at the following: https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/vaccinations/
• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Top Secret SCI security clearance or access for the duration of employment, as such, this position requires random drug testing.
• This is a Testing Designated Position. This position is subject to a pre-employment screening, and random testing thereafter, to include testing based on reasonable suspicion and testing due to direct involvement with an on-duty accident.
• Temporary Business Travel is required up to 25% of the time away from the duty station.
• This position has an acquisition certification requirement. At the DB-03 grade level, the selectee must meet position requirements for certification Level 3 in the acquisition career field of Engineering within 24 months of entrance on duty.
• This is a 6 year Renewable Term position scheduled to last 6 years IAW Federal Register Vol. 82, No. 178. This position may be extended, without limit, in up to six year increments.
• Term employment is subject to an extended trial period of three years for the Engineers and Scientists Occupational Family. Employees serving a trial period can be removed with limited appeal rights.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

Qualified candidates must meet the Basic Requirement for the Electrical Engineer, Computer Engineer, Electronics Engineer, or Computer Scientist position. In addition to meeting the basic education requirement listed below, you must have one year of specialized experience at the DB-02(GS-11) equivalent grade level or higher). For this position education is not permitted to be substituted for the lack of specialized experience.

Specialized Experience is defined as experience equivalent to the DB-02 pay band (GS-11 grade level or higher equivalency) in the Federal Service which includes experience in 1) Conducting analyses of scientific/engineering data to generate reports, identify trends and/or make recommendations for process improvement; 2) Participation as a collaborative member of a team or working group on an engineering/scientific program or project; 3) Performing applied research and development, modeling and simulation, testing and/or evaluation of tactical communications, electronic warfare (EW), radar, signals intelligence (SIGINT), position/navigation/timing (PNT) and/or radio frequency sensors technologies; and 4) Developing engineering concepts using Research and Development technology to improve applications and products.

Basic Education Requirement for an Engineer (850, 854 and 0855 Series):

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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), 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) examination, or any other written test required for professional registration, by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or 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 A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.

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 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.

To view the OPM education requirement for the Engineering (850, 0854 and 855 Series) go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

OR

Basic Education Requirement for a Computer Scientist (1550 series): Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in computer science or bachelor's degree (or higher degree) with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus.

To view the OPM education requirement for the Computer Science (1550 series) go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/computer-science-series-1550/

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

This announcement uses the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Defense STRL Positions authorized by Section 1108, NDAA for FY 2009 and Section 1107, NDAA for FY 2014 to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to certain positions in the competitive service.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Extended trial period for the Engineers and Scientists Occupational Family is three years.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• This is a Career Program (CP 16) - Engineers and Scientists Non Construction position.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
• This is a 6 year Renewable Term position scheduled to last 6 years IAW Federal Register Vol 82, No. 178. This position may be extended, without limit, in up to six year increments.
• This position is covered under an alternative personnel system known as the Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory Management Demonstration Project. The Demonstration Project replaces GS grade levels with occupational families and pay bands. The DB-03 pay band encompasses the GS-12 to GS-14 grade levels.
• This position has an education requirement, therefore, Official college or university transcript (or copies) must be submitted to be considered eligible.
• Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in the vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.