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Aerospace Engineer-Aircraft Performance (Direct Hire)

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation Safety, Aircraft Certification Service, (AIR)

Summary

Serves as an Aerospace Engineer specializing in aircraft performance and handling qualities within Aircraft Certification. The Aerospace Engineer will plan and accomplish highly complex and challenging projects/programs and other work activities under the minimal direction of a manager, project/program manager, team leader, or more experienced engineer.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/30/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 30, 2026
Location
few vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational telework may be permitted in accordance with agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$95,489 - $148,037 per year

Locality increase will be determined at time of job offer.

Pay scale & grade
FV J
Promotion potential
NA
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - The job may require travel from time-to-time, but not on a regular basis. The travel may be for training or other work-related duties.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
Yes - This position is represented by NATCA: Regional AIR - ACE ANM ANE ASW.
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
ACT-AVS-26-AIR-99420
Control number
876762300

Duties

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The incumbent will apply experience and comprehensive knowledge of engineering principles, theories, and concepts applicable to aircraft performance and handling qualities to solve complex problems and improve airworthiness standards and guidance, as well as an understanding of new technologies and methodologies, to solve complex problems and to develop improved technical processes for the organization. Considers the objectives of the major subdivision and LOB/SO when developing, integrating and implementing solutions to diverse, complex problems. Assignments frequently require knowledge and experience working across functional and/or organizational lines.

The Aerospace Engineer will develop airworthiness standards and related advisory and guidance material on aircraft performance and handling qualities for the type certification of aircraft. Ensure standardized application of the FAA airworthiness requirements worldwide. Provide policy, guidance and instruction to others, internally and externally, resolving most technical issues without the intervention of management.

The incumbent develops strategies, implementation plans and responses to safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board as well as from individuals or organizations within the FAA and considers the objectives of the Aircraft Certification Service and the FAA when developing, integrating and implementing solutions to technical issues. Communicates to all levels within the Aircraft Certification Service, and to counterparts in other lines of business such as the Flight Standards Service, the Office of Environment & Energy, and the public.

Contacts are internal and external. Represents the FAA as a technical specialist on projects, programs and other work activities. Proposes, defines and oversees research associated with new or novel designs or technologies.

Broad policies and objectives provide general guidance for addressing issues but allow considerable discretion to develop new and innovative approaches. Draws on experience to solve unusual problems and may create new solutions and policy interpretations as the situation requires.

Provides guidance to lower-level staff to solve difficult technical issues. Resolves all but unique technical problems without the intervention of management or a more experienced engineer.

Work is rarely reviewed, typically through status reports and at project completion, to ensure technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity. The work activities impact directly on the objectives of one or more major subdivisions and/or LOB/SOs and may impact on the objectives of the FAA. The work may affect the safety and security of customers.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.

Qualifications

To view the complete OPM qualification standard for the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for General Engineer, Series 801, please refer to:

General Engineering Series 0801

Basic Requirements: Degree in 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.

To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-I, FG/GS 13. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Specialized Experience is:
Experience applying engineering concepts, principles and practices to address aircraft performance and handling qualities issues.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

Interview: If the Agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed. If the selection list is shortened to a best qualified list through a comparative process, then the best qualified list shall be considered to be the selection list.

Selection may be made from this announcement or from ACT-AVS-26-AIR-99613.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

Preview job questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. On-the-Spot will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.


You may also be considered for this vacancy based on eligibility under the 30% or More Disabled Veteran Program, Veterans' Recruitment Appointment, and Persons with Disabilities/Persons with Targeted Disabilities. To be considered for one of these special hiring authorities, you must identify your eligibility in your questionnaire in the Applicant-Preferred Conditions of Employment section. In addition, you must submit documentation that provides evidence of eligibility as indicated in the Required Documents section of the announcement.

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the KSAs listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in alphabetical order and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.

This announcement will be used to make selections throughout the AIR organization.


Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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.



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Federal Aviation Administration

At the FAA, the sky is not the limit—it is just the beginning. Exciting new opportunities are emerging in aviation and aerospace. Significant investments are advancing the research and development of autonomous vehicles, environmentally friendly electric aircraft, high-speed and long-endurance solar-powered aircraft, and new types of space vehicles. Success with these new technologies and vehicle types will introduce new ways to transport people and goods expanding aviation's footprint in transportation. People are our strength. We are a diverse workforce of over 44,000 located nationwide and spanning over 120 occupations to include air traffic control specialists, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, scientists, technicians, and business professionals. Join us in our mission to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.

Agency contact information

Tara Price
Phone
1 (609) 485-4669
Fax
1 (609) 485-8995
Email
tara.price@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
ACT Regional HR Services Branch
Atlantic City International Airport, Bldg. 300
AHF-N710
Atlantic City, NJ 08405
US

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