Space Launch Engineer, SSC/SYD 80

About the role

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.

What you will do

• The United States Space Force (USSF) at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM L is searching for a Space Launch Engineer to support SSC/SYD 80 (NH-0801-03, GS-12/13 Equivalent).
• Description: Are You Ready to Launch Your Career into Orbit?
• Join the United States Space Force's premier rapid response launch team as a Space Launch Engineer & Program Manager, where your work directly supports the Nation's most critical defense missions.
• This is your chance to lead high-stakes launch acquisition and operations across a constellation of national priorities-including missions for the USSF, Office of the Secretary of War (OSW), Army, Navy, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), and the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Golden Dome space-based interceptor program.
• If you are an experienced launch systems engineer driven by technical excellence, complex problem-solving, and operational velocity, this is where your expertise commands center stage.
• If you are an experienced launch systems engineer driven by team work, technical excellence, complex problem-solving, and operational velocity, this is where your expertise commands center stage.
• Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It: - Lead Integrated Action Teams: Drive multidisciplinary engineering, acquisition, and operational squads to formulate bold launch strategies and guarantee total mission readiness. - Conduct Deep Technical & Acquisition Evaluations: Spearhead rigorous mission assurance reviews, risk-reduction audits, and technical trade studies on next-generation launch vehicles and space payloads. - Brief Executive Leadership: Translate complex technical, schedule, and mission-assurance data into high-impact, actionable briefings for senior military general officers and civilian agency directors. - Drive Full Mission Lifecycles: Guide and pilot world-class launch teams from initial operational concept, launch vehicle integration, and range safety all the way through countdown, ignition, and orbital deployment.
• Why You Matter: You'll be at the forefront of safeguarding America's space launch architecture, driving innovation through cross-functional collaboration and technical excellence.
• Your leadership will ensure our warfighters have the space-based capabilities they need-when they need them.
• Ideal Candidate: This position plays a vital role in supporting the United States Space Force (USSF) and the Department of War (DoW) by focusing on the sustainability and enhancement of global space launch systems.
• The primary responsibility of the position is to serve as the focal point for launch operations and acquisition of logistics, maintenance, supply, engineering, mission assurance, solid rocket motor operations and launch services, ensuring mission readiness and success.
• Experience: Applicants should have experience in engineering and/or program management or related fields, ideally within the DoW or a similar environment.
• Proven experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing complex programs characterized by significant uncertainties and risks is essential.
• Applicants must demonstrate a history of developing and implementing acquisition policies, procedures, strategic plans and source selection experience that enhance mission execution effectiveness.
• Experience leading/supporting integrated product teams; experience with solid rocket motor launch operations/missions, experience with implementing requirements and monitoring performance; developing cost estimates; planning/conflict resolution between many organizations; and communicating project status (written/brief) with Space Systems Command (SSC) leadership up to the General Officer Commander, PAE, Division Chief and Branch Chief levels; customer mission managers, and contractors (mission assurance/technical/mission support/launch service contractors).
• Establishes management controls such as milestones, expenditure rates, management indicators, and management reviews to reflect program status and provide early detection of emerging problems.
• Reviews documents to assess impact on the mission preparation and execution.
• Organizes teamwork efforts and leads a team of specialists in resolving technical, schedule, cost, and supportability issues.
• Support/lead team(s) to develop, implement, and control financial and technical aspects of projects (launch operations, acquisition, mission preparation, etc.).
• Generate specific plans, goals, and objectives consistent with policies and requirements.
• Organize, direct, and coordinate activities of functional specialists (engineering, contracting, program control, finance, logistics and mission assurance).
• Review progress of contractors in meeting objectives.
• Keep Leadership and team informed of project status and resolution actions.

How you will be evaluated

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.

Documents you must provide

• 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.

Additional 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.