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SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER

Department of the Air Force
United States Space Force

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is: To serve as a systems development engineer in support of assigned AFAMS programs during all phases of the system acquisition cycle. (Continued in Duties section)

Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/13/2026 to 02/20/2026
Salary
$107,228 to - $139,398 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Patrick AFB, FL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - 30 SEP 2031
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
5R-AFPC-092309-12884720-JTG
Control number
857518200

Duties

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Continued from Summary section:
Conducts assessments of the modeling and simulation environment and provides technical recommendations for general engineer and Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering - Systems Engineering (SPRDE-SE).

Duties:

  • Provides technical subject matter expertise in support of the Air Force Modeling & Simulation Support Service contract and other field operating agency (FOA) organizational efforts; ensuring planning, organizing, and advisory initiatives are technically feasible to meet customer/organizational requirements.
  • Exercises systems engineering technical assessment responsibilities.
  • Performs multidisciplinary professional engineering work involved in the application of advanced theories, concepts, principles, and processes.
  • Represents the organization with a variety of installation and functional area organizations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
  • This posn is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft/vehicle to conferences, meetings, or functions away from the duty office/location. Travel may include overnight stays.
  • This position has been designated as an acquisition position and is covered by the Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP).
  • This is a Mission-Essential position performing a Mission-Critical-Function which must continue uninterrupted after the occurrence of an emergency and continued through full resumption of all functions.
  • May occasionally be required to work other than normal duty hours and/or Shift work may be required which may include overtime and/or irregular hours.
  • This position has been designated by the Air Force as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Demand Reduction Program. Employee must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. (cont.)
  • Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions presents a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
  • THIS IS A TERM POSITION NTE 30 SEP 2031

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions

BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT:
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.
NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.

OR

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: You must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-12, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes experience of advanced engineering concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, techniques, materials, and equipment sufficient to apply experimental theories, principles, and concepts to project development, execution, and advisory services; experience of advanced concepts, principles, practices, methods, and techniques to provide expert judgment concerning programs/operations; resolve unique or novel problems, conditions, or issues, or significantly alter standard practices, processes, and known techniques; and experience of systems engineering practices and procedures as they pertain to sustainment, modification, logistics, and production management principles, concepts, policies, and systems to execute significant projects with represent an important segment of the agency's operating program.
NOTE: You must submit a copy of your resume.

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

1. Knowledge of the theories, concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, techniques, and materials of multidisciplinary professional engineering to effectively apply advanced engineering theories, principles, and concepts to new applications, experimental theories, and other areas of responsibility.

2. Knowledge of planning and program management to execute major projects, provide expert advice to colleagues, and present innovative recommendations for advancing programs and/or methods.

3. Knowledge of modeling and simulation work primarily involving computational simulation and modeling of systems, scenarios, problems, and designs.

4. Ability to plan, organize and direct engineering functions and conduct assessment of modeling and simulation engineering support for assigned programs and organizations.

5. Ability to research, evaluate, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, and procedures to a variety of situations and to recommend timely and economical solutions.

6. Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and with technical accuracy, both orally and in writing, as well as work in a professional manner with peers, management, contractors, academia, and other agencies.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcriptswith the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Additional information

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated well qualified or above for this position. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

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.

Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary and term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position.

Temporary and Term Appointments: If you are selected for a temporary or term position in the competitive service, your appointment may be extended to the maximum period allowed by law without further competition.

120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: MSP applicants, if determined best qualified, must be selected, and placed at the highest grade for which they applied. You must include a completed copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for MSP. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the DD Form 3145-4, Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicant Eligible: PPP Applicants, if determined well qualified and selected, will be placed at the at the full performance level. You must include the applicable completed copy of the PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility as a PPP Applicant. Click here to obtain/download a copy of the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD3145-1 through DD3145-4, select the appropriate checklist for your claimed preference). To determine the applicable PPP Self-Certification Checklist required to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming, refer to the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide located in the Required Documents section of this vacancy announcement.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

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.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

BASIS OF RATING: Your application will be rated under the Cut Point procedures based on the extent to which the quality, depth, and complexity of your experience and education relate to the qualification requirements. Additional points are not added for Veteran's Preference; however, Veteran's Preference is considered where applicable.

Best Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements.
Fully Qualified Group: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements.
Basically Qualified Group: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements.

The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

For additional information on what to include in your resume, click here.

APPRAISALS/AWARDS: Hiring Managers use objective methods and consider previous performance appraisals and awards in the selection process. Current Federal Civilian employees should list any relevant performance related rating and/or awards in your resume.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

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