Interdisciplinary Engineer (General, Aerospace, Mechanical, and Electrical)

Air Force Civilian Service; Tennessee; On-site; USD 90,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Recruitment incentives

Relocation assistance

Student Loan Repayment program

Job summary

Air Force Civilian Service seeks engineers to join AEDC/PMD, guiding activation, commissioning, and operation of the NHTF arc heater and J-5 hypersonics facilities. You will help transition facilities to the 715 TS, implement TEMP and safety analyses, and oversee test readiness.

Candidates should have ABET engineering credentials and be eligible for sensitive clearances. This role requires collaboration with DoD sponsors, contractors, and test customers, delivering robust engineering solutions

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from ABET-accredited program.
• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain a Secret clearance.
• DAWIA, ETM/T&E certification or ability to achieve within grace periods.

Responsibilities

• Deliver technical oversight and system integration across major ground test facilities.
• Lead reviews of facility design, construction, and final checkouts for NHTF arc heater and J-5 facilities.
• Develop TEMP, hazard analyses, and operating limits for test campaigns.
• Create operating checklists, interlocks, and emergency shutdown logic for initial operations.
• Coordinate with DoD sponsors and test customers on instrumentation and diagnostics.

Skills

Arc heater systems

Plasma physics

Aerothermal heating

Hypersonic materials

TPS testing

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Professional Engineering Degree (PE)

Job description

About the Air Force Test Center: The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is where tomorrow’s Air Force is tested! Long considered the “Center of the Aerospace Testing Universe”, AFTC is truly where Air Force superiority begins. Home to many Aerospace establishments and records, AFTC remains the state-of-the-art leader in Aerospace testing, and provides the warfighter with cutting-edge technology. AFTC does not only celebrate its past, but we continue to lead from the front. Join our team today and make Aerospace history! Don't just watch the future unfold—build it! The Air Force Civilian Service at AEDC is at the forefront of defense aerospace engineering and innovation, from pioneering high-enthalpy arc heater simulation for hypersonic materials to validating large-scale hypersonics test capabilities and long-range precision strike systems. We are seeking talented, mission-driven engineers to design, construct, commission, test, and field decisive ground test capabilities that protect our nation.

• NHTF Arc Heater & J-5 Programs (Construction-to-Operations Pipeline): Selectees will initially serve within AEDC/PMD as facility and test engineers supporting the final engineering build-out, technical activation, checkout, and commissioning of these critical national test assets. As construction and checkouts conclude, these engineers will transition directly into the 715th Test Squadron (715 TS) to establish the foundational operational engineering cadre responsible for executing and sustaining long-term test missions. oNHTF: High-enthalpy arc heater facility dedicated to extreme aerothermal simulation and materials/thermal protection systems (TPS) testing in direct support of national hypersonic programs. oJ-5: State-of-the-art large-scale hypersonics ground test facility providing simulated high-mach aerothermal conditions, high-enthalpy flow environments, and advanced hypersonic propulsion integration testing.
• Long Range Kill Chain (LRKC): Operating within AEDC/PMD, this portfolio focuses on complex systems engineering, integrated ground simulation, sensor-to-shooter communications networks, and aerodynamic/propulsion evaluation of extended-range precision strike systems.
• Duty Location: Arnold AFB, TN (Tullahoma / Manchester area) (with potential coordination across AEDC operating locations including Hypervelocity Tunnel 9, White Oak, MD and National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex [NFAC], Mountain View, CA).
• Pay Band & Salary: NH-0801-03 $89,508 - $138,370
• Telework Information: Situational Telework may be authorized based on mission requirements, facility commissioning milestones, test cell schedules, and supervisory approval.
• Travel Requirements: Occasional travel (up to 25%) may be required for temporary duty (TDY) assignments to engineering contractors, system vendors, program offices, and partner test ranges.
• Incentives: oThis position MAY be eligible for a recruitment/relocation incentive. Specifics will be discussed with the Selecting Official. oThis position MAY be eligible for paid relocation (Permanent Change of Station [PCS] costs MAY be paid). Specifics will be discussed with the Selecting Official. oThis position MAY be eligible for Student Loan Repayment (SLR). Specifics will be discussed with the Selecting Official.
• Direct Hire Authority: NO 6-MONTH WAIT! Recently retired and/or retiring from MILITARY service ARE eligible for immediate appointment for AFTC positions. The 180-day waiting period has been waived for AFTC to hire recently retired and/or retiring service members under Direct Hire Authority. Must-Have Requirements (Conditions of Employment & Core Qualifications)
• U.S. Citizenship: Required.
• Professional Engineering Degree: Must possess a Bachelor of Science (or higher) in Engineering from an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited college or university (or demonstrate qualifying professional engineering credentials satisfying Office of Personnel Management [OPM] requirements for the 0800 engineering series).
• Security Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance (at minimum).
• Drug Testing: This is a designated drug testing position subject to pre-employment and random drug testing under the Air Force Civilian Drug Testing Program.
• DAWIA Certification: Position is coded for acquisition; must achieve and maintain the required Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Practitioner or Advanced certification in Engineering and Technical Management (ETM) or Test & Evaluation (T&E) within statutory grace periods. Desired Skills
• NHTF Focus: 2+ years of engineering experience in arc heater systems, plasma physics, aerothermal heating environments, high-temperature gas dynamics, or thermal protection system (TPS)/hypersonic materials test characterization.
• J-5 Program Focus: 2+ years of engineering experience in large-scale hypersonics ground test operations, high-mach flow facility systems, high-enthalpy aerodynamic simulation, air-breathing hypersonic propulsion integration, or high-pressure gas heater systems.
• AEDC/PMD to 715 TS Transition Focus: Engineering experience in facility activation, system commissioning, construction engineering verification, or developing technical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to transition major ground test facilities into operational testing.
• Long Range Kill Chain (LRKC) Focus: 2+ years of engineering experience in precision strike weapon aerodynamics, radio frequency (RF)/sensor telemetry integration, wind tunnel aerodynamics, or integrated hardware-in-the-loop test networks. Major Duties
• Serves as a facility and test engineer within the Program Management Division (AEDC/PMD), delivering technical oversight, engineering evaluations, and systems integration across major ground test facility investments.
• Directs engineering reviews of facility design, final construction, hardware installation verification, and technical checkouts for the NHTF arc heater and J-5 large-scale hypersonics test facilities.
• Apply advanced engineering principles to formulate comprehensive Test and Evaluation Master Plans (TEMP), engineering hazard analyses, and facility operational limits.
• Engineers technical operating checklists, fail-safe interlocking sequences, and emergency shutdown logic to establish the initial operational engineering cadre prior to transition into the 715th Test Squadron (715 TS).
• Oversees the engineering integration of critical facility utility systems, including multi-megawatt high-voltage direct current (DC) power supplies, deionized arc heater cooling water loops, high-pressure gas storage, vacuum chambers, and high-enthalpy airflow heaters.
• Analyzes real-time engineering measurement data—including heat flux sensors, optical pyrometers, calorimeter instrumentation, high-frequency pressure transducers, and aerodynamic load balances to validate test conditions against customer specifications.
• Leads root-cause failure analyses and engineering troubleshooting for anomalies occurring during high-enthalpy plasma arc runs, hypersonic wind tunnel blowdowns, or aerothermal exposure; designs and implements engineered corrective solutions.
• Prepares comprehensive engineering evaluation reports, facility calibration data packages, and technical briefings for Department of the Air Force and Department of Defense program sponsors.
• Collaborates with military officers, civilian scientists, construction contractors, and test customers to engineer novel diagnostic techniques and advanced instrumentation for hypersonic materials and high-speed flow ground testing. ________________________________________
• Probationary Period Statement: Depending on the type of position (competitive/excepted) you are selected for, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period. Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Financial Management Statement: Employee may be required to file an annual Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450). Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) 1.Aerospace Ground Test Facility Engineering: In-depth knowledge of aerospace engineering principles governing ground test facility activation, commissioning, high-enthalpy arc heaters, aerodynamic wind tunnels, or large-scale hypersonics test cells. 2.Specialized Aerothermal and Gas Dynamic Systems: Professional engineering knowledge of aerothermal heating phenomena, plasma arc physics, hypersonic materials and thermal protection systems, or high-mach aerothermodynamic simulation. 3.Instrumentation and Data Acquisition Engineering: Demonstrated skill in selecting, integrating, and evaluating sensor systems—including heat flux gauges, optical pyrometers, high-speed pressure transducers, and aerodynamic force balances to accurately quantify test article performance. 4.Engineering Hazard Mitigation and Safety Systems: Skill in conducting technical risk assessments on high-voltage electrical distribution, high-pressure gas storage, vacuum systems, and extreme thermal environments to establish fail-safe engineering controls and safety interlocks. 5.Facility Systems Engineering and Operational Commissioning: Practical skill in conducting technical design reviews, verifying mechanical and electrical installations during construction in the Program Management Division (AEDC/PMD), and successfully commissioning complex test cells into operational service. 6.Technical Reporting and Engineering Briefings: Ability to synthesize complex aerothermal, mechanical, and materials engineering test data into authoritative technical reports and executive engineering briefings for DoD leadership and test customers. ________________________________________ Employment Benefits & Candidate Resources Air Force Civilian Service Employment Benefits
• Paid Time Off: 11 Federal Holidays each year; 13 sick leave days earned per year (accumulative); 13 to 26 paid vacation days per year based on length of federal service.
• Health Insurance: Immediate coverage by Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) for you and your family with no waiting period.
• Retirement: Immediate coverage by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Three-Tier Retirement Plan (Pension, Social Security, and Thrift Savings Plan).
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP): Agency matches employee contributions up to 5%, with an immediate 1% automatic agency contribution.
• Health & Wellness: Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP), and Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI).
• Work/Life Balance: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), flexible work schedules, and telework options depending on operational requirements.
• Career Development: Tuition assistance, leadership development programs, and clear avenues for technical and engineering advancement across the complex. Candidate Resources & External Links
• Benefits Details: Check out the AFTC Benefits Trifold.
• Federal Resume Tips: Resumes are limited to two pages. Learn more at the USAJOBS Resume Guide and the AFCS Federal Resume Writing Guide.
• OPM Classification & Qualifications: Review standards at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Classification & Qualifications.
• Career Opportunities: Visit the AFTC Job Board for other openings.
• Equal Opportunity: AFTC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.