Senior Engineer, SSC/SW

📍 Chantilly, Virginia · 🏛 Space Systems Command · 💰 $142,488–$195,200 per year · 🎓 NH 4 · 🧭 General Engineering (0801) · ⏳ Closes Nov 11, 2026 · 0 days left · 🗓 Posted Nov 4, 2026
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About this job

Do not email applications. 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.

Duties

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.

Qualifications

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.

Evaluations

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.

How to apply

To submit your resume for this Direct Hire opportunity click 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.

Applications are handled only on the official announcement. This page is a readable copy of the public announcement data — the official version controls if anything differs.

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Required documents

Resume: You must submit a resume that may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume exceeds two pages or is illegible/unreadable. 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 resume must provide: Personal information - your full name, email and mailing addresses, phone number Education information - the name of the school and the dates you attended Work experience - paid and unpaid work with the following information: Job title Detailed duties and accomplishments Employer's name and address Supervisor's name and phone number Starting and ending dates (If actual dates are not known, provide your best-estimated timeframes.) Hours per week Salary, if applicable Other qualifications - skills, certifications/licenses, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and job-related training courses College Transcripts (if applicable): Please see the Education section of this announcement for detailed information about transcripts.

What to expect next

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

Other 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.

Frequently asked questions

How much does this Senior Engineer, SSC/SW job pay?

The announcement lists a salary of $142,488–$195,200 per year (NH 4).

When is the last day to apply?

Applications close on Nov 11, 2026 — 0 days from today.

Where is this job located?

This position is located in Chantilly, Virginia with the Space Systems Command.

How do I apply?

Applications are submitted through the official announcement on USAJobs. Use the Apply button on this page to go to the official posting — this site never takes applications itself.

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Data: USAJobs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), retrieved 2026-11-11 · Announcement SF-FY27-6S-NH-0801-04-SPLSH · Official announcement. FederalJobs is unofficial and is not affiliated with OPM or the agency.
Senior Engineer, SSC/SW
Nov 11, 2026 deadlineApply