Senior Engineer, SSC/SW

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.

The United States Space Force (USSF) in Chantilly, VA is searching for a Senior Engineer to support SSC/SW (NH-0801-04, GS-14/15 Equivalent). Description: In this high-impact senior engineering role, you will serve as a principal technical leader and consultant overseeing the development, production, and long-term sustainment of vital defense space programs across the Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, and the United States Space Force.

You will apply advanced, multidisciplinary engineering principles to solve complex, unprecedented technical challenges, evaluate cutting-edge technological advancements, and provide authoritative recommendations directly to senior executive leadership regarding the strategic continuation, redirection, or integration of major defense systems.

Acting as a collaborative bridge across military branches, defense agencies, and commercial aerospace industry partners, you will direct technical working groups, resolve controversial engineering issues, and lead crucial acquisition and readiness reviews to safeguard mission success and preserve operational safety, suitability, and effectiveness.

To excel in this executive technical capacity, candidates should possess a professional degree in engineering from an accredited institution and bring extensive, full-lifecycle systems engineering and technical program management experience within complex defense or aerospace environments.

The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional communication skills to defend technical positions, build cross-organizational consensus, and translate intricate technical trade-offs into decisive strategic guidance for top-level officials. Candidates must possess or be capable of obtaining and maintaining a Top-Secret security clearance, pass random drug testing, satisfy annual confidential financial disclosure reporting, and be prepared for occasional military or commercial air travel.

Additionally, the selected professional will be required to obtain advanced professional credentials, including third-tier certification in information assurance management within twelve months of appointment, as well as fulfill highest-level certification requirements established by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act in fields such as systems engineering or test and evaluation.

Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate is an engineering authority in space and missile systems possessing an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and extensive full-lifecycle systems engineering and defense acquisition experience within Space Systems Command, the United States Space Force, or broader national security space environments.

As a senior technical leader and systems engineering and configuration management process owner, they bring proven experience directing programs from concept exploration and design reviews through production, testing, and operational fielding while ensuring operational safety, suitability, and effectiveness.

The candidate demonstrates significant experience tailoring formal Request for Proposal instructions, evaluating source selections, and serving as a voting representative on Acquisition Strategy Panels, Failure Review Boards, and Independent Program Assessment reviews.

Additionally, they possess the technical breadth to direct multidisciplinary working groups spanning cybersecurity and information assurance, radio frequency spectrum management, mission assurance, reliability engineering, software development, and parts, materials, and processes.

Holding senior defense acquisition workforce credentials in engineering and technical management or recognized professional engineering certifications, the ideal candidate has a documented track record of advising executive and flag-level leadership on high-impact, precedent-setting technical decisions and integrating complex multi-agency systems architectures.