Chief, Exploratory Research Section

Air Force Research Laboratory; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, OH, seeks a DR-03 level General/Engineering leader to serve as Section Chief for the Exploratory Research Section of the Photonic Materials Branch, within the Electronic, Photonic, and Soft Materials Division.

The role, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, involves supervising staff, guiding R&D strategy, and coordinating complex contracts to advance mission-ready technologies.

Qualifications

• US Citizenship
• Current AFRL employee
• Must be a current DR-03 or have 1+ year at DR-02
• Professional science or engineering (S&E) degree from an accredited institution
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret-SCI clearance; current Secret clearance required
• Drug testing required
• APDP Level 2 certification (Practitioner) in Engineering & Technical Management; 60 months to meet requirements

Responsibilities

• Exhibits full supervisory responsibility, including workforce development and recruitment.
• Provides performance assessments and recognizes employee achievements.
• Executes branch strategy and provides counsel to employees on policies and directives.
• Determines execution strategy for R&D funds to meet requirements with oversight of contracts and acquisitions.
• Leads R&D, engineering, program management and other efforts to ensure quality and alignment with mission objectives.
• Applies advanced principles to identify and develop new technical areas aligned with program objectives.
• Fosters a professional atmosphere of high-impact contributions and teamwork.

Education

S&E degree in a relevant field

ABET-accredited degree (engineering)

Job description

Job Overview

OPEN TO CURRENT AFRL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES ONLY. This announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 11:45 EST, 30 September 2026.

The AFRL Foundational Technology Directorate seeks to hire a motivated and experienced DR-03-level General Engineer (0801), Materials Engineer (0806), Electrical Engineer (0850), Electronics Engineer (0855), Physicist (1310), or Chemist (1320), or related Job Series to serve as the Section Chief for the Exploratory Research Section of the Photonic Materials Branch in the Electronic, Photonic, and Soft Materials Division. (REE) of the Foundational Technology Directorate (RE) in Air Force Research Laboratory. This position is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Position Duties Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Exercises full realm of supervisory responsibility. Responsible for workforce development; identifying, recruiting, and retaining personnel, identifying professional development opportunities and working with individuals to teach them the necessary skills for successful careers.
• Provides employee performance/contribution assessments and appropriately recognizes employee achievements through formal and informal means.
• Executes the branch strategy as codified by the REEP Branch Chief and Branch Technical Leadership.
• Advises and provides counsel to employees regarding policies, procedures, and directives of senior management.
• Determines the execution strategy of research and development funds to meet current and projected DAF requirements based on branch competencies, executing this strategy through technical and financial oversight of contracted R&D across varied instruments, agreements, and acquisition pathways to ensure performance alignment with mission objectives.
• Leads R&D, engineering, program management, and/or other professional and scientific efforts to ensure quality and relevant technical oversight and individual/team contributions. Works closely with Research Team Leads and Advanced Development Lead to ensure research is aligned to relevant demand signals.
• Applies expert knowledge and advanced scientific and/or engineering principles to identify, develop, and lead new technical areas while ensuring assigned projects remain consistent with program objectives, costs, schedules, performance criteria, and existing policies.
• Cultivates and sustains a professional atmosphere of high-impact contributions, cooperation, cohesion, and teamwork.

Required Qualifications

• US Citizenship
• Current AFRL employee
• Must be a current DR-03 or possess 1+ year(s) relevant experience at the DR-02 level
• Possess a professional science or engineering (S&E) degree, in a relevant technical field, from an accredited (or ABET accredited for engineering) academic institution
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret-SCI security clearance. Must have at least a current Secret clearance.
• This position requires drug testing.
• This is an Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) position requiring Level 2 certification (Practitioner) in Engineering & Technical Management. Applicants must list all completed APDP certifications on resume. Selectee will have 60 months to meet the APDP certification requirements of the position.

Desired Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in engineering or physical sciences
• Management of complex laboratory and facilities infrastructure and associated contracts
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience supervising or mentoring researchers and program managers
• Broad technical experience in optical and/or electromagnetic materials, especially expertise related to electromagnetic spectrum survivability soft materials for electronics & sensing as well as resilient polymeric materials and responsive polymer systems
• Demonstrated leadership of research and development related to optical and electromagnetic materials, within both unclassified and classified environments, including developing research plans and roadmaps, analyzing data, reporting results, and promoting technology transition
• Excellent communication skills, including experience writing proposals and publications/reports as well as giving high-level presentations
• Experience with organizational relationship building, including a demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional networks across and outside AFRL
• Experience initiating and managing diverse and complex contract vehicles, including monitoring financial and schedule performance

Telework

Yes, this position is eligible for situational telework; as determined by agency policy

Eligible for a Referral Bonus?

No

Series

• 0801
• 0806
• 0830
• 0850
• 0855
• 0861
• 1301
• 1310
• 1320

Additional Information

NOTE: Must use MM/DD/YYYY date format for experience entries on resume.

For resume writing tips, facts about the federal hiring process and additional resources, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/

• When uploading documents, please utilize the naming convention listed below. The Requisition Number for this announcement is XXXX:
• Resume: Req No_Last Name_First Name_Resume
• Latest SF50: Req No_Last Name_First Name_SF50

Acceptable file types: .docx, .pdf

Requisition Number 82601

Posting End Date

09/30/2026