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Chief Test Engineer, SSC/PEO

Department of the Air Force
Space Systems Command
United States Space Force / Space Systems Command / PEO

Summary

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For additional information on other USSF direct hire opportunities visit the
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Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/11/2026 to 03/18/2026
Salary
$146,632 to - $197,200 per year

Salary is dependent upon duty location, grade, step and locality pay. Equivalent to GS-14/15.

Pay scale & grade
NH 4
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Los Angeles County, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
SF-FY26-6S-NH-0801-4-SPLASH
Control number
860748400

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Duties

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The United States Space Force (USSF) at Los Angeles AFB, CA is searching for a Chief Test Engineer for SSC/PEO (NH-0801-04, GS-14/15 Equivalent).

Description:
The chief test engineer oversees the test and evaluation activities of the space sensing programs and provides test expertise to the program offices. The chief test engineer manages the independent test activities for the Space Sensing programs to verify operational safety, suitability, and effectiveness. The chief test engineer collaborates with the Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) to implement integrated developmental/operational testing of the space sensing programs.
If this sounds exciting to you, come join us! Space starts here.

Ideal Candidate:
Professional experience in acquisition, engineering, and test; Practitioner certification in Test & Evaluation; Practitioner certification in Engineering; Experience in a DoD test organization conducting system-level testing; Experience in a DoD acquisition program office; Experience in acquisition, operations, or testing of military satellites; Qualified as 801 General Engineer (bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent); Graduate of Test Pilot School or USAF TPS Space Test Course.

Effective leader; Ability to build and lead teams; Ability to train new personnel in test & evaluation; Ability to collaborate effectively with external organizations; Customer focus; Warfighter focus; Good communicator (written and oral); Good organizational skills.

1. Key Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of a wide range of advanced multidisciplinary professional engineering concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, and techniques to apply experimental theories and new developments to problems not susceptible to treatment by accepted methods, and to plan and execute specialized programs of marked difficulty, responsibility, and significance.

2. Knowledge of the mission, roles, functions, organizational structure, and operation of the DoD, Space Force, and organizations that govern, interface with, and/or influence systems acquisition, development, and/or sustainment.

3. Knowledge of planning, programming, and budgeting cycles, financial systems, and restrictions on expenditure of funds.

4. Knowledge of and skill in evaluating state-of-the-art and advancements in theory, application, technology, and policy affecting systems being developed, and in planning, organizing, and directing the functions and staff in critical aspects of development, production, and/or support of systems, subsystems, or equipment.

5. Knowledge of and experience in Technical Standards Development, Configuration Control, Digital Engineering implementation, and Systems of Systems Engineering.

6. Skill in establishing and maintaining effective relationships, building consensus and coalitions, negotiating, and resolving conflicts with a variety of individuals and organizations as well as communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.

7. Ability to plan, organize, and direct the functions of an organization, and mentor, motivate, and appraise the staff through subordinate supervisors as well as analyze, plan, and adjust work operations of one or more organizational segments to meet program requirements and objectives within available resources.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
  • Safeguards classified or sensitive budget-related information and/or files.
  • May be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
  • Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed “Unscheduled Telework”.
  • This position will close after 5 business days or 75 applications, whichever comes first.
  • Employee may be required to perform travel by military or commercial passenger aircraft in the performance of temporary duty assignments.
  • PCS / relocation funding is not authorized.
  • Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY): Approximately 15 days per year.
  • A professional engineering degree at the bachelor’s level from an ABET accredited institution is highly required.
  • This is a Critical Acquisition Position (CAP).
  • This position may be designated as an acquisition position covered by the Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP).
  • This is a drug testing designated position (TDP). The incumbent is subject to random testing for drug use, IAW AFI 90-508.
  • The employee is required to submit an initial and annual SF-450 (Financial Disclosure).
  • Employee must within 30-days of assuming this position and by 31 October annually thereafter, file an OGE-450, “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.
  • This position is part of the Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP).

Qualifications

The 0801 series has an individual occupational requirement that must be met and can be viewed here. In addition to the above requirements you can view the experience level requirements here. Please scroll down to the 4th section titled Professional and Scientific Positions.

Additional information

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.

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.

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.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies as related to the series and grade of the position being filled. Final qualifications determinations will be assessed based on OPM's General Schedule Qualifications Standards found here:

Interviews: You will be contacted by e-mail and/or telephone if your application is identified as qualifying for a position being filled. An interview may be conducted. If interviewed, you will be asked to address the same knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies used to initially qualify your application for the position.

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