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General Engineer

Department of Defense
Missile Defense Agency
Directorate for Engineering

Summary

The position(s) covered by this vacancy announcement is in the Department of Defense (DoD) Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo). For more information please see: ACQDEMO

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/31/2026 to 04/06/2026
Salary
$130,987 - $197,200 per year

Includes locality of 33.94% locality unless statutory rates prevail

Pay scale & grade
NH 4
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Redstone Arsenal, AL
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
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
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
MDA-26-12923923-DH
Control number
863143100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

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This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Acq Demo Engineering and Technical Management to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.


As a General Engineer at the NH-0801-4 broadband level, some of your typical work assignments may include:

  • Oversee and perform systems engineering at the systems/component level for a complex defense weapons system.
  • Perform concept planning; design and development; integration and testing, verification, and system assessment at the Missile Defense System (MDS) system, element or component level.
  • Advise on technical, acquisition and operational issues related to technical performance requirements, systems engineering, financial management, and performance trades among program elements.
  • Perform engineering studies to support the development and testing of systems or components.
  • Work in engineering specialty areas which include but are not limited to s systems architecture, systems engineering, threat systems engineering, cybersecurity engineering, modeling & simulation, sensors & radars, command & control, battle management, missiles, targets, kill vehicles, space vehicles, directed energy, discrimination, hypersonics, artificial intelligence/machine learning.
  • Identify and resolve highly complex problems crossing organizational boundaries and promulgate solutions.
  • In cooperation with coworkers, identify needs of internal and external customers and address their concerns.
  • Develop and present technical briefings and reports to Flag Officers/Senior Executives.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Occasional Travel
  • Work Schedule: Full-time
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Overtime: Occasionally
  • Tour of Duty: Maxi Flex
  • Recruitment Incentives: Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees based on agency policy and availability.
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Financial Disclosure: Required
  • Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible.
  • Employee must obtain and maintain a Critical Sensitive (Top Secret) Security Clearance.
  • This position is part of a planned Transfer of Function (TOF) from the Missile Defense Agency to the Department of the Army. This action is projected to be effective on or about October 1, 2026.
  • Selectee must acquire 80 continuous learning points every two years.
  • This is an acquisition position coded Practitioner in Engineering Technical Management. Incumbent must obtain mandatory Back to Basics (B2B) certification within 60 months of entry into position.
  • This is a Drug Testing designated position condition
  • This is a Critical Acquisition Position. Selectee for this position will be required to sign a written agreement to remain, for a minimum of three years, in the federal service in this critical acquisition position.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the NH 04 Broadband Level, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the 04/GS-14 grade level in the Federal service as listed below and must meet 2 out of the 3 specialized experience listed below to be qualified:

  • Experience applying acquisition policies to complex defense systems
  • Experience in the field of systems engineering in one or more of the following key specialty areas: systems architecture, systems engineering, threat systems engineering, cybersecurity engineering, modeling & simulation, sensors & radars, command& control, battle management, missiles, targets, kill vehicles, space vehicles, directed energy, discrimination, hypersonics, artificial intelligence/machine learning.
  • Experience in one or more sub-specialty area: architecture development, requirements development, design, model-based systems engineering, object oriented analysis, performance modeling & analysis, interface development & engineering, system integration, test requirements, test & performance analysis, system assessment, risk management, verification & validation, lethality, specific/multiple radar frequencies, signal processing, antenna design, networks, protocols, propulsion, avionics, guidance, navigation & control, structures & dynamics, rocket motors & thrusters, seekers, radiation hardening, software engineering, data analytics, cyber testing, power systems, parts / materials, industrial & manufacturing, sustainability, reliability, international requirements, specialty engineering.
In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0801 series.

This position has a Basic Requirement for the 0801 series: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf'

Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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 and I have included my transcripts with my application.

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

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY?

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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: Foreign Education

Additional information

ACQUISITION POSITION: This position requires a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) program management, III level. Certification prior to hiring is not essential but must be accomplished within 24 months after entry into this position. For information regarding the DAWIA Back to Basics please visit: Home (dau.edu) or Back to Basics - Helpful Resources (dau.edu)

  • DAWIA (Back to Basics) Certification: NON-CAP: Position requires DoD Acquisition Program management, III certification within required timeframes. Selectee must also achieve 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every 2-years. Click here for more details and Resources.

All applicants must meet qualifications and eligibility criteria by the closing date of the announcement.


Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (seehttps://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/#p5 )

To receive consideration please make sure you select ALL appropriate eligibilities in the application questionnaire.
  • IMPORTANT NOTICE: TRANSFER OF FUNCTION (TOF)
    • This position is part of a planned Transfer of Function (TOF) from the Missile Defense Agency to the Department of the Army. This action is projected to be effective on or about October 1, 2026.
    • The individual selected for this position will be required to transfer with their function to the Department of the Army as a condition of employment. Upon the effective date of the transfer, the incumbent will become an employee of the Army, and all personnel and pay actions will be administered by the gaining command.
    • By applying for this position, you acknowledge and accept this condition of employment.


Other Notes:

CRITICAL ACQUISITION POSITION (CAP): Selectee for this position will be required to sign a written agreement to remain, for a minimum of three years, in the federal service in this critical acquisition position.

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: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position.

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements.

Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency.

For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the " Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp)" eligibility. If you are claiming Military Spouse eligibility and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager. Information and required documentation for claiming Military Spouse eligibility may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below.

Missile Defense Agency

Do you enjoy challenges and seek opportunities?
Are identifying problems, analyzing facts, and making recommendations some of your strong suits?
Would you like to obtain the rare opportunity to participate in some of the greatest technological achievements developed?
Would you like to serve your country and defend freedom in one of the most critical efforts in history?

If you answered yes, then this job is for you! The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) mission is to develop, test, and field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.

We are seeking a prepared, talented, and motivated General Engineer who seek challenges and opportunities. You will earn a competitive salary and enjoy outstanding benefits while working alongside some of the brightest, most motivated thinkers of our time.

Agency contact information

MDA Servicing Team
Phone
6146920299
Fax
6146931696
Email
DHRC-DMDAHR@DLA.MIL
Address
Missile Defense Agency
Bldg 5222 Martin Rd
Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Missile Defense Agency, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.mda.mil/

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