Skip to main content
U.S. flag

Deputy Chief Engineer

Department of the Air Force
Space Systems Command
Detachment 5

Summary

To submit your resume for this Direct Hire opportunity click here.

For additional information on other USSF direct hire opportunities visit the
Air Force Civilian Careers Space Force website and follow USSF on LinkedIn.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 08/05/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 5, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$129,096 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
NH 4
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
SF-F26-6S-NH0855-04-SPLASH
Control number
878454500

Videos

Duties

Help

The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Detachment 5 (DET 5) at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado is searching for a Deputy Chief Engineer (NH-0855-04, GS 14/15 equivalent).

Description:
As the Deputy Chief Engineer for Mission Delta 8/8th Sustainment Squadron, you will serve as a Supervisory Electronics Engineer playing a pivotal role in delivering and sustaining joint warfighting satellite communication (SATCOM) capabilities to defend the nation and its allies while disrupting adversaries. In this critical leadership position, you will guide a diverse, multi-disciplined team of military, civilian, and contractor personnel to provide direct support for SATCOM operations, oversee the transition of newly fielded MILSATCOM systems, and drive the modernization of vital ground and space assets. You will function as the senior technical authority for assigned systems, responsible for evaluating design alternatives, managing technical baselines, and ensuring the Operational Safety, Suitability, and Effectiveness (OSS&E) program complies with all legal and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, your duties will include converting strategic goals into actionable programs, formulating budgets, optimizing resource allocation, and representing the squadron in high-level technical forums with Program Executive Officer, Field Command, DoW, and international partners to resolve complex requirements and priority conflicts.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned professional with a minimum of 10 years of experience in DoW Acquisition and Engineering, complemented by at least 8 years of direct domain expertise with space systems and/or communications electronics. We are seeking a proven servant leader with significant experience building, leading, and providing technical direction to teams at the program or multi-program level, including prior experience supervising subordinates and holding an APDP Engineering Practitioner-level certification. This individual must possess a thorough understanding of the DoW acquisition lifecycle, a working knowledge of the PPBE process, and familiarity with safety, security, personnel management, and EEO regulations. As a highly effective communicator known for strict technical accuracy, the candidate will be adept at inspiring and coaching others, adapting their leadership style to diverse situations while modeling integrity and trust. The successful candidate will have a strong technical aptitude for evaluating new technology insertions for efficiency and risk and will be an innovative problem-solver who thrives in a dynamic environment, successfully balancing support for current operational systems with the simultaneous integration of new SATCOM services to maintain space superiority.

Key Skills and Abilities:

  1. Knowledge of system engineering to manage extensive technical work performed by subordinates in the workforce. This includes knowledge of the physical and disciplined engineering sciences and mathematics, and the processes, techniques, and practices of electronics engineering.
  2. Knowledge of and ability to apply procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise in the work of the unit (such as engineering, cost accounting, logistics supply, etc.) including the ability to maintain credibility with others on technical matters.
  3. Knowledge of resource management, planning, programming, budgeting, appropriation, funding, and accounting processes and their implication for effective mission accomplishment.
  4. Ability to inspire, motivate and guide others toward goal accomplishments. Leadership ability, including the ability to coach, mentor and challenge integrated product team members; ability to adapt leadership style to variety of situations, and ability to model high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behavior. Knowledge of safety, security, personnel management, and EEO regulations, practices, and procedures.
  5. Ability to communicate effectively, clearly, concisely and with technical accuracy both orally and in writing with technical accuracy. Use computers and a variety of software programs and databases, gather and analyze a variety of program information, make sound judgments concerning program progress, and effectively communicate recommendations orally and in writing to higher organizational management and contractors.
  6. Ability to evaluate insertion of new technology for design efficiency, cost reasonableness and developmental risks.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Employee must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance with SCI access.
  • This position has been designated for drug testing. Incumbent is subject to random urinalysis testing as a condition of employment.
  • Required to handle and safeguard sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
  • 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 designated a CRITICAL APDP position.
  • Employee may work extended or other than normal duty hours and may be subject to recall. Incumbent may be required to work base exercises/contingencies/emergency situations and overtime/comp time/credit hours may be required to accomplish duties.
  • An engineering degree at the bachelor’s level from an institution with an ABET accredited program in electronics engineering or a closely related field is highly desired.
  • Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY): Approximately 20 days per year.
  • PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/
  • Depending on the type of position (competitive/excepted) you are selected for, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period.
  • Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
  • Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed "Unscheduled Telework".
  • Incentive is not authorized.
  • Position will close in 5 business days or 75 applications (whichever comes first).

Qualifications

The 0855 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.

Space Systems Command

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) will be used to form a pool of qualified applicants who will be considered for direct hire vacancies as they become available.

To learn more about the United States Space Force Mission click here

Agency contact information

US Space Force Enterprise Talent Management
Email
HQ.USSF.TalentAcquisition@spaceforce.mil
Address
USSF - Space Systems Command
1670 Space Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Space Systems Command, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://spaceforce.com

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.