DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER FOR TEST AND EVALUATION
Naval Sea Systems Command — Naval Business Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Job description
You will serve as Distinguished Engineer for Test and Evaluation of NSWC PHILA DIV. You will drive future Hull Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E) technical innovations, capabilities, and technologies and initiates and directs a large number of interdisciplinary machinery engineering programs from basic and applied research and development through prototyping and technology transition.
Location: Naval Business Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Education:
Applicants must meet the following positive education qualifications requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual: For Professional Engineering Series: A. Degree: Engineering. Successful completion of a bachelor's or higher engineering degree from an accredited college or university. 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. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. -or- B. 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: (I) 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; or (II) 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; or (III) 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; or (IV) Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.) An advanced degree of Master's or Ph.D. in one of the educational fields listed above is highly desirable.
How you will be evaluated:
Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Technical Qualifications (TQ) listed above. TQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Additional documentation may be required in the interview/assessment process. The technical panel will review results and make recommendations on final selections to the approving authorities. This recruitment will utilize the following technical assessment tools: Structured Resume Review and Structured Interview. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible/not qualified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Other information:
Senior Scientific Technical Manager (SSTM) positions are positions which exceed the ND-05 (GS-15 equivalent). SSTMs provide a continuity of technical leadership and oversight that is needed to ensure long term stewardship of an organization's technical capabilities. Typically, applicants for SSTM positions are expected to have a graduate degree, significant research or development experience, and a national or international reputation in his/her field and are recognized throughout the applicable community as a renowned expert. SSTM positions are in the competitive service. This position is not covered by the Department of War Priority Placement Program. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments. Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of War and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents: - Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back, - FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and - SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information) Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)
How to apply:
Click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Complete resume. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show evidence of the TQs to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume: employer's name, job title, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week, and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER. 2. Complete assessment questionnaire. For a quick preview of the assessment questionnaire click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13044948 3. Documentation that supports all of the claims made in your resume and assessment questionnaire Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. Your complete application (resume, assessment questionnaire, and all supporting documents) must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 09/09/2026to receive consideration. Applications received after 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 09/09/2026 will generally not be accepted. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed. Please do not submit multiple resumes. NOTE: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account: https://mydon.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process so please plan appropriately. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documents are legible and accurate. Human Resources will not modify a resume or change an applicant's answer to a question, even upon request.
Responsibilities
- You will plan and lead meetings and tech exchanges to execute the strategic Research and Development vision, delivering national Science and Technology initiatives to the Fleet for Navy machinery and Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical systems.
- You will lead teams nationally within the National Research and Development Establishment, Warfare Centers, University Affiliated Research Centers and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers to drive and develop technology solutions.
- You will develop and maintain a technology and infrastructure portfolio, advising Division Leadership on investments for Next Navy and Navy After Next initiatives to ensure readiness for new Research and Development work.
- You will provide technical guidance on Test and Evaluation and Research and Development portfolios.
- You will lead special teams to solve complex problems or conduct independent analyses and evaluations of proposed technical solutions.
- You will develop long-range tech roadmaps with the Chief Technologist and Test and Evaluation staff to maintain a balanced investment portfolio—leveraging research, tech transition, workforce growth, Revitalization and Recapitalization.