Department: Department of the Air Force
Location(s): Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
Salary Range: $86123 - $111966 Per Year
Job Summary: Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below for IMPORTANT additional information. The primary purpose of this position, Air Traffic Control Specialist, GS-2152-11, is to serve as an advisor to Commanders and staff at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) on small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) airspace integration, standardization, and operations matters of UAS.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Experience requirements are described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Air Traffic Control Series, 2152. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year, or will have one year within 120 days of closing of this announcement, specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-09, or equivalent in other pay systems. Specialized experience is described as an advisor on small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) airspace integration, standardization, and operations matters of UAS; provide technical direction, organization, and integrate the work of military, civilian, civilian contract, and other personnel who are assigned to work specific UAS integration issues. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. Due to the use of 120 day rosters, applicants within 120 days of completion of TIG requirements are encouraged to apply. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: 1. Detailed, comprehensive knowledge of owned and/or leased UAS operations including physical and performance capabilities and limitations. Air Traffic Control or Pilot certifications desired. 2. Comprehensive knowledge of FAA, OSD, USAF, AFMC UAS/airspace management regulations, instructions, and guidance. 3. Knowledge of Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures. Combat airspace operational experience or combat airspace instructor experience is highly desired. 4. Comprehensive knowledge of UAS operations, lessons learned, and operational policy and procedures. Close coordination with these agencies is constantly required and knowledge is not limited to the air traffic control career field alone. 5. Knowledge of a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to participate in the assessment and improvement of command level UAS plans and programs in areas such as NAS access, ATC operations, airspace and frequency management, and scheduling. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: SPECIAL RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This position is covered as an Air Traffic Controller under 5 USC 2109. This position is subject to the special retirement provisions for Air Traffic Controllers under CSRS and FERS (5 USC 3382, Involuntary Separation for Retirement; 5 USC 8335(a) and 8425 (a), Mandatory Separation for Retirement; 5 USC 8336(e), Immediate Retirement; 5 USC 8339(3) and 8415(d), Computation of annuity, and 8412(e). -5 USC 5546a - DIFFERENTIAL PAY FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (a)The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Administrator") and the Secretary of Defense (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Secretary") may pay premium pay at the rate of 5 per centum of the applicable rate of basic pay to -(1)Any employee of the Federal Aviation Administration or the Department of Defense who is -(2)Occupying a position in the air traffic controller series classified not lower than GS-9 and located in an air traffic control center or terminal or in a flight service station This position may be entitled to 5% premium pay as authorized by 5USC 5546a (a)(1) MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE: The maximum age of original entry into an identified ATC position is 36 years old. An individual shall not be appointed or assigned to an ATC position if that appointment cannot be completed prior to the last day of the month in which the individual reaches his/her 36th birthday. Applicants over the age limit must meet re-entry or age waiver requirements in accordance with DoDI 1400.25-V331 dated 26 Jan 15, Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Manual, Subchapter 331, Civilian Air Traffic Controllers. Any individual who has reached the mandatory separation age (56) is not eligible for employment/reemployment as an ATC (5USC 3323 (a) (reference 9b)). NOTE: ATCs have a mandatory separation age of 56. This position is covered as an Air Traffic Controller under 5 USC 2109. This position is subject to the special retirement provisions for Air Traffic Controllers under CSRS and FERS (5 USC 3382, Involuntary Separation for Retirement; 5 USC 8335(a) and 8425(a), Mandatory Separation; 5 USC 8336(e), Immediate Retirement; 5 USC 8339(3) and 8415(d), Computation of annuity, and 8412(e). RE-ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: ATC Specialist in receipt of a refund, of retirement contributions for the years of service covered under special retirement, will not receive service credit towards the 20 years required to retire under special retirement coverage, unless the redeposit is paid in full prior to date of retirement. MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: In general, air traffic control specialist applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of these positions without risk to themselves or others. The provision of sufficient information about physical capacity for employment requires that before appointment, applicants undergo appropriate pre-employment physical/medical evaluations. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS : The work is primarily sedentary, however, walking, stooping, and climbing may be required in performance of duties. Occasional lifting of objects weighing up to 50 pounds may be required.
How to Apply: The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/25/2026. To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12944200 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.
Application Deadline: 2026-05-25