Division Chief, HQ AFRL Plans and Programs (XP)

Air Force Research Laboratory; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton seeks a Chief of the Strategic Planning and Programming Division to lead a multi-disciplinary team and oversee AFRL's Planning, Programming, and Budgeting (POM/PB) process. The role requires building governance, defending budgets, and aligning enterprise objectives across MOs and HQ leadership.

Candidates should have a background in program management, financial management, analysis, operations research, and engineering, with clear leadership and

Qualifications

• US Citizenship
• At least one year of specialized experience at the next lowest grade level or equivalent
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
• Males must be registered for Selective Service
• Meet all OPM Qualification Standard requirements for the applicable occupational series and grade
• Engineering degree (ABET accredited) for 0800 Engineer series
• Operations Research Analyst (151) eligibility

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-disciplinary group of civilian and military personnel
• Oversee end-to-end Planning, Programming, and Budgeting process for AFRL
• Support AFRL I&P line of effort and synchronize objectives across MOs
• Represent AFRL PPB before HQ stakeholders and document executive inputs
• Establish governance frameworks and battle rhythms for planning and review
• Guide data-informed evaluations, risk analyses, and trade-space studies

Education

Engineering degree (ABET accredited)

Job description

Job Overview

OPEN TO CURRENT AFMC CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES ONLY. This announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 11:45 EST, 6 November 2026.

Job Overview

OPEN TO CURRENT AFMC CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES ONLY. This announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 11:45 EST, 6 November 2026. This job will be accepting candidate submissions until 5 November 2026. Join the AFRL HQ Plans & Programs Directorate (XP) as the Chief, Strategic Planning and Programming Division! In this critical supervisory role, you will oversee the AFRL Corporate Planning, Programming, and Budgeting (PPB) process, leading a diverse team that translates enterprise strategic guidance into actionable, defensible budgets. This role serves as the central bridge between AFRL Mission Organizations (MOs), AFRL HQ Leadership, and decision-makers across the DAF and OSW. We welcome leaders with backgrounds in program management, financial management, analysis, operations research, and engineering.

Position Duties Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-disciplinary group of civilian and military personnel. Set division priorities, manage and balance workloads across teams, coordinate XP workload needs with fellow XP Division Chiefs, and foster an agile, collaborative work environment.
• Oversee the end-to-end AFRL corporate Planning, Programming, and Budgeting process on behalf of TEO and dTEO executive leadership, guiding team development and defense of Program Objective Memorandum (POM) and President's Budget (PB) submissions.
• Direct division efforts supporting the AFRL Integration & Planning (I&P) line of effort, ensuring AFRL corporate strategic objectives are synchronized across MOs.
• Represent corporate AFRL PPB interests before higher HQ stakeholders (e.g. AFMC, SAF/AQ, SAF/SQ), overseeing the delivery of executive briefings, staff packages, and congressional reporting inputs.
• Establish, maintain, and execute corporate governance frameworks, policies, and battle rhythms to standardize planning, programming, and review activities across the enterprise.
• Guide the division in conducting data-informed programmatic evaluations, risk analyses, and trade-space studies to provide senior leadership with objective courses of action for corporate investment decisions.
• Direct division efforts as needed for the execution of AFRL's Align-Balance-Communicate (ABC) process to evaluate, prioritize, and balance enterprise capability demands.

Required Qualifications

• US Citizenship
• Must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lowest grade level or equivalent grade level of the position being advertised.
• Ability to obtain and maintain appropriate security clearance.
• Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
• This position may be filled under multiple occupational series. Applicants are required to meet all OPM Qualification Standard requirements for the applicable occupational series and grade.
• Engineer (0800): To meet eligibility of an Engineer, applicants must meet the following basic requirements. Degree in Engineering. The program must have been ABET accredited. For a full description of the 0800 requirements, see the following Occupational Requirements here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf.
• Operations Research Analyst (151