Department of the Army

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Crane, Indiana Full time

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Department: Department of the Army

Location(s): Crane, Indiana

Salary Range: $88621 - $137000 Per Year

Job Summary: About the Position: This position is with the Joint Munitions Command located at Crane Army Ammunition Activity, IN.

Major Duties:

  • Performs a wide range of engineering duties related to methods, procedure writing, techniques, processes, materials, facilities, and equipment used in Crane Army Ammunition Activity (CAAA) programs.
  • Plans for pilot production of pyrotechnic and explosive items and provides technical guidance relative to processes, material, new assembly methods, etc., which will facilitate the production phase.
  • Provides technical direction on the most economical, efficient, and safe facilities, equipment, methods, techniques, and processes for pilot production.
  • Plans for the transition of pyrotechnic and explosive items from pilot or "limited release" production to large quantity production.
  • Provides overall plans for the equipment, facilities, special tools, personnel, process flow, new techniques/methods; and provides direction on problems relating to the formulation of chemicals, application of new production process, and techniques.
  • Monitors all aspects of the production of assigned programs that have never been produced in large quantity production runs.
  • Serves as the authoritative technical engineer by providing the analysis and solution of formulation, material, or process problems.
  • Provides management controls which include a review of daily production reports, Process Control data, Quality Assurance inspection report, customer order, and job order information, fund expenditures, material availability.
  • Analyze and use this information for program management and provide guidance to the Production Directorate and others in or out of the activity.
  • Plans and coordinates facility and equipment requirements to ensure maximum utilization of equipment, methods, processes, and personnel for each assigned program.
  • Programs cost reduction applications into production lines and remain abreast of operating expenses, potential operating deficiencies, or material inadequacies, and takes positive action to prevent or remedy production line shutdown.
  • Coordinates the efforts of Methods and Standards personnel to generate the development of more efficient techniques of item assembly.
  • Performs review of the Technical Data Package (TDP) to ensure completeness, latest revisions included, and materials requirements lists are acceptable.
  • Reviews production bills of materials for engineering adequacy and recommends "make or buy" action of product components.
  • Analyzes proposed end item release documentation for producibility and recommend necessary changes to design documents.
  • Performs special studies in the area of production engineering designed to improve economically and/or correct deficiencies in the production process.
  • Reviews the adequacy of all standard operating procedures and quality control inspections generated on assigned projects to propose changes and provide engineering assistance in resolving difficulties or deficiencies.
  • Participates in planning meetings on assigned projects to facilitate preparation to bid, pilot production, or full-scale production endeavors.
  • Evaluates vendor's engineering capability to produce quality components within specified timeframes so that the activity will remain responsive to fleet demands.
  • Utilizes extensive knowledge of manufacturing procedures and techniques to visit and inspect the capabilities of the vendors’ internal process control and equipment in the plant to produce the item required.

Qualifications: Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Current DoD Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Reinstatement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Experience required: To qualify based on your work experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job.Specialized experience: To qualify, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade/level (NH-02). Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Performing mechanical engineering activities in the production of explosives and pyrotechnic ordnances; 2 ) Providing advice and guidance on engineering matters involved in explosives and pyrotechnic ordnances; and 3) Perform studies on explosives and pyrotechnic ordnances production activities to improve cost, manpower and production difficulties. In addition to meeting the experience requirement above, applicants must also possess the following basic education requirement:BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT (Engineering Series): Degree: 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. NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. 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. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your current registration as an Engineer Intern/Engineer In Training or a copy of your license as a professional engineer. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your successful completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering examination or other written test for professional engineer registration. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. NOTE: You must provide a letter of reference stating that you have at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. The letter must be signed by the engineer who provided the professional engineer supervision. It must also include their name, phone number, and engineer credentials (i.e. engineer education or professional certificates). Lack of this documentation will make you ineligible to be referred. NOTE: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise. NOTE: A SF-50 reflecting that you currently or formerly served as an Engineer for the Federal Government is NOT qualifying supporting documentation for the basic requirement. You MUST submit either your transcripts, current registration as a professional engineer, EIT examination results, and/or supporting documentation based on your claim of the basic requirement, as applicable. Lack of this documentation will make you ineligible to be referred. Applicants must meet basic eligibility requirements such as minimum qualifications, and other regulatory requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12848398 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/24/2025. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980562523540-USA-Hire-Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-24