Create the systems & tools that will be used to enhance the operation of intelligence. You will advise, administer and perform scientific projects, such as planning, designing, and constructing specialized equipment, and ensuring adherence to sound engineering and scientific standards and principles. The NSA offers multiple areas of focus for facilities engineers, including computer, architectural, electrical, mechanical, and structural.
Summary
Create the systems & tools that will be used to enhance the operation of intelligence. You will advise, administer and perform scientific projects, such as planning, designing, and constructing specialized equipment, and ensuring adherence to sound engineering and scientific standards and principles. The NSA offers multiple areas of focus for facilities engineers, including computer, architectural, electrical, mechanical, and structural.
The NSA currently has opportunities for highly motivated Mechanical Design Engineers to support design, analysis and fabrication of mechanical hardware and equipment in response to limited quantity, short-duration, prototype requirements.
As a Mechanical Design Engineer at NSA, responsibilities may include:
- Design custom parts, mechanisms and equipment.
- Perform engineering calculations.
- Analyze problems to determine technical solutions.
- Decide what procedures will be required to solve technical problems.
- Develop conceptual designs or models to address requirements.
- Use modeling or simulation software to evaluate designs.
- Perform engineering analyses and testing of products/parts/equipment.
- Use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) (thermal/stress/vibration analysis tools) to produce design drawings and to validate and support engineering design activities.
- Identify new and existing products, technologies, and/or manufacturing techniques to solve design, development, and operational problems.
- Develop engineering test plans to evaluate designs in real-world environment prior to operational use.
- Modify or adapt products, services, and support to meet customer needs.
- Provide timely and accurate responses to customer requests for assistance, information, products, or services.
- Work with customers to clarify their needs and to determine how their needs can be met expeditiously.
- Work on teams with engineers and fabricators of various disciplines and levels to meet customer mission needs.
Work is in a very fast paced office which requires employees to work on multiple projects simultaneously with quick turn-around schedules.
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph.
Qualifications
The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.
For all listed degrees, if program is not ABET accredited, it must include specified coursework.*
*Specified coursework includes courses in differential and integral calculus and 5 of the following 18 areas: (a) statics or dynamics, (b) strength of materials/stress-strain relationships, (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics, (d) thermodynamics, (e) electromagnetic fields, (f) nature and properties of materials/relating particle and aggregate structure to properties, (g) solid state electronics, (h) microprocessor applications, (i), computer systems, (j) signal processing, (k) digital design, (l) systems and control theory, (m) circuits or generalized circuits, (n) communication systems, (o) power systems, (p) computer networks, (q) software development, (r) Any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, or soil mechanics.
ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL
With an Engineering degree, entry is with a Bachelor's degree and no experience
OR
With a degree in a relevant professional technical field (for example physics, electronics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, geology), entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience.
Relevant experience must be working in a mechanical design engineering capacity (for example, using 2D or 3D CAD tools, prototyping process, thermal design and ventilation, tolerancing, properties/mechanics of materials, heat transfer, release agents, electronics, weight transfer, metallurgy, Industrial Control Systems (ICS)).
FULL PERFORMANCE
With a degree in Engineering, entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience.
OR
With a degree in a relevant professional technical field (for example physics, electronics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, geology), entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's or Doctoral degree plus 1 year of relevant experience.
Relevant experience must be working in a mechanical design engineering capacity (for example, using 2D or 3D CAD tools, rapid prototyping machines, thermal design, tolerancing, or properties of materials, metallurgy, Industrial Control Systems (ICS)).
Additional information
Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.
Salary Range: $87,362 - $153,082 (Entry/Developmental, Full Performance)
Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.
Training will be provided based on the selectee's needs and experience.
Benefits: NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package.
Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).
DCIPS Trial Period:
If selected for this position, you will be required to serve a two-year DCIPS trial period, unless you are a veterans' preference-eligible employee, in which case you are required to serve a one-year trial period. This trial period runs concurrently with your commitment to the position, if applicable. Before finalizing your appointment at the conclusion of your trial period, NSA will determine whether your continued employment advances the public interest. This decision will be based on factors such as your performance and conduct; the Agency's needs and interests; whether your continued employment would advance the Agency's organizational goals; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
If you do not receive certification for continued employment, you should receive written notice prior to the end of your trial period that your employment will be terminated and the effective date of such termination.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The ideal candidate is extremely creative and has a desire for continual learning, along with excellent problem solving, analytic, and interpersonal skills. Customer service skills are a must.
Additional knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas is desired:
- Concepts, theories, and methods for designing and analyzing mechanical systems, structural assemblies, components, accessories, mechanisms and tools.
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools to analyze designs and provide operational solutions.
- Additive Manufacturing, 3D Printing, and Rapid Prototyping technologies
- Injection Mold Design and Manufacturing.
- Composite Mold Design and Ply Schedule Optimization.
- Material identification and selection (plastics, composites and/or metals)
- Mechanical Reverse Engineering techniques and Metrology
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
**VETERANS AND TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS**
Thank you for your service! The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions at NSA are in the Excepted Service under Title 10, United States Codes (U.S.C.), Section 1601 appointment authority.
Veterans' Preference
In accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, "DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System Employment and Placement," NSA applies veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5, U.S.C., to eligible candidates. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you are required to provide acceptable documentation of your preference eligibility upon application.
Acceptable documentation includes:
- DD-214: "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions (Copy 4);
OR
- Certification of Service:
A written document on letterhead from the appropriate branch of the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. The certification should include the military service dates, including the expected discharge or release date;
AND
- Standard Form 15 (SF-15)
Application for 10-point Veteran Preference (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf).
If you are claiming a service-connected disability of 30 percent or more, the documentation you provide must specifically demonstrate this level of disability;
AND
- VA Letter of Disability (for 10pt and Sole Survivorship rating)
You may obtain a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs reflecting your level of disability for preference eligibility by visiting a VA Regional Office, contacting a VA call center, or online (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/).
**Failure to provide sufficient documentation of veterans' preference eligibility may preclude NSA from identifying you as a preference eligible candidate during the hiring selection process.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
**VETERANS AND TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS**
Thank you for your service! The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions at NSA are in the Excepted Service under Title 10, United States Codes (U.S.C.), Section 1601 appointment authority.
Veterans' Preference
In accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, "DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System Employment and Placement," NSA applies veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5, U.S.C., to eligible candidates. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you are required to provide acceptable documentation of your preference eligibility upon application.
Acceptable documentation includes:
- DD-214: "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions (Copy 4);
OR
- Certification of Service:
A written document on letterhead from the appropriate branch of the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. The certification should include the military service dates, including the expected discharge or release date;
AND
- Standard Form 15 (SF-15)
Application for 10-point Veteran Preference (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf).
If you are claiming a service-connected disability of 30 percent or more, the documentation you provide must specifically demonstrate this level of disability;
AND
- VA Letter of Disability (for 10pt and Sole Survivorship rating)
You may obtain a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs reflecting your level of disability for preference eligibility by visiting a VA Regional Office, contacting a VA call center, or online (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/).
**Failure to provide sufficient documentation of veterans' preference eligibility may preclude NSA from identifying you as a preference eligible candidate during the hiring selection process.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
