Department: Department of the Air Force
Location(s): Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
Salary Range: $127141 - $165288 Per Year
Job Summary: The primary purpose of this position is to serve as expert engineering technical consultant and advisor in the area of aircraft mishap flight data analysis, leading the Mishap Analysis & Animation Facility (MAAF) in development and establishment of AF-wide objectives and initiatives in aviation flight recorder data collection and analysis. Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Professional and Scientific Positions, General Engineering Series 0801. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Education: 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. OR 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. Series IOR Link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-13, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes professional knowledge of advanced concepts, principles and practices of aerospace engineering with emphasis in the areas of aircraft flight data acquisition equipment, to enable employee to provide expert engineering advice to the Air Force Chief of Safety and support staff; Extensive knowledge of methods used to conduct aircraft mishap investigations with emphasis on system problems and failure modes of aircraft equipment; Knowledge of fundamental aircraft flight operations, to include flight planning, navigation, ATC communications, and aircrew interactions; Knowledge of aircraft data acquisition devices and data recovery, including work being conducted by research and development laboratories, manufacturers, and other investigative agencies worldwide; Knowledge of aircraft operational characteristics, to include flight dynamics, aircraft and propulsion system performance, system functions and flight instrumentation; Knowledge of the chemical and physical properties and characteristics of engineering materials used in the construction of aerospace vehicle systems, and principles of related engineering fields such as electrical and electronic systems, aircraft structures, pneumatics and hydraulics; Knowledge of computer programming, computer software design, computer operating systems and hardware interfaces used to operate and control the processing of data on aircraft and in desktop systems used in mishap investigation laboratories. 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-13 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. 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. Knowledge of aircraft mishap investigation policies, processes and techniques and the recovery, processing, analysis, and presentation of recorded data and information from a broad range of sources for such investigations. 2. Knowledge of engineering disciplines and best practices sufficient to plan, design, test, troubleshoot, evaluate, and oversee the development and/or sustainment of aircraft flight data recording, extraction, and analysis systems or devices. 3. Knowledge of other engineering disciplines and standard acquisition regulations, practices, and procedures. 4. Skill in researching and identifying requirements, developing specifications, and working individually and in groups or committees to write standards and policies related to aircraft system recording devices. 5. Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and with technical accuracy, both orally and in writing, as well as work in a professional manner with peers, management, contractors, academia, and other agencies. 6. Ability to use computer applications in support of planning, designing, analysis, and reporting. 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.
How to Apply: The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/24/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12906982 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: 2026-03-24