USV Developmental Test Project Officer

Trinzic; Lexington Park (MD); On-site; USD 127,000 - 191,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR, hosting the USV Developmental Test Project Officer role, seeks a leader to guide developmental test and evaluation of unmanned surface vessels supporting Naval Test Wing Atlantic. You will act as primary integrator, coordinating people, ranges, instrumentation, data systems, and resources to safely achieve test objectives.

The position emphasizes test leadership and program execution over vehicle operation, with potential USV operation support as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or relevant technical discipline; equivalent military/technical experience considered.
• 10+ years of experience in complex test and evaluation, maritime, or unmanned-systems activities.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and resources for complex test events.
• Demonstrated understanding of test planning, risk management, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience with USVs, maritime, robotic/autonomous systems testing/engineering.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination, execution, analysis, and reporting of developmental test activities for USVs and autonomous systems.
• Serve as primary integrator ensuring availability of personnel, ranges, instrumentation, and resources.
• Lead multidisciplinary test teams during planning and execution.
• Develop test plans, procedures, schedules, risk-management products, and data requirements.
• Coordinate with Government leadership and program offices to resolve technical and operational issues.
• Evaluate test results, document deficiencies, and support technical reporting and recommendations.
• Provide technical leadership to USV operators and test specialists; operate USVs as needed.

Skills

Test leadership

Plan & coordination

USV knowledge

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's in engineering or technical field

Tools

Test instrumentation

Data collection systems

Job description

USV Developmental Test Project Officer

At KBR, we deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 85 countries and operations in over 28 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results.

Trinzic is the future independent company to be created through the planned spin-off of KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business, expected in January 2027. Our people work at the frontier of what is possible, delivering solutions in challenging environments and advancing some of the world's highest-priority national security and space missions.

Backed by decades of mission success, deep expertise, and trusted partnerships, Trinzic will launch as a global organization with more than 18,000 employees supporting customers around the world. Join us at a defining moment and help shape the future of a company built to tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful impact.

Candidates who join KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business before the spin-off will transition to Trinzic when the separation is complete and will not need to reapply for employment.

Job Summary

KBR is seeking a USV Developmental Test Project Officer to lead developmental test and evaluation (DT&E) activities involving unmanned surface vessels and associated mission systems supporting Naval Test Wing Atlantic. The USV Project Officer will serve as the primary integrator for assigned test efforts, leading multidisciplinary teams through test planning, preparation, execution, analysis, and reporting. The selected candidate will coordinate the personnel, test articles, ranges, instrumentation, targets, waterspace, support vessels, equipment, data requirements, and other resources necessary to safely and effectively accomplish test objectives. This position emphasizes test leadership and project execution rather than vehicle operation. The Project Officer will provide technical and operational leadership to engineers, operators, analysts, technicians, range personnel, and other supporting organizations. Depending on experience and program requirements, the selected candidate may also operate or support operation of unmanned surface vessels, but vehicle operation will not be the primary responsibility. The successful candidate must be comfortable operating in a developing mission area where requirements, processes, test infrastructure, and team composition will continue to evolve.

Roles And Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination, execution, analysis, and reporting of developmental test activities involving USVs and associated robotic and autonomous systems.
• Serve as the primary integrator for assigned test efforts, ensuring availability and coordination of personnel, test articles, ranges, targets, instrumentation, equipment, waterspace, support vessels, communications, data systems, and other required resources.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams of operators, engineers, analysts, technicians, range personnel, program representatives, and other stakeholders during test planning and execution.
• Develop and coordinate test plans, procedures, schedules, risk-management products, resource requirements, data requirements, technical documentation, and test readiness activities.
• Coordinate with Government leadership, program offices, range organizations, maritime authorities, and supporting organizations to identify and resolve technical, operational, scheduling, safety, and resource issues.
• Evaluate test results, document deficiencies and lessons learned, and support preparation of technical reports, briefings, and recommendations.
• Provide technical and test leadership to USV operators and test specialists as the organization grows, and operate or support operation of USVs when appropriate based on qualifications and mission requirements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, maritime studies, aviation, mathematics, physics, computer science, or another relevant technical discipline and relevant test or unmanned-systems experience; additional directly relevant military, technical, maritime, or test experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 10 years of experience.
• Demonstrated experience planning, coordinating, or leading complex test and evaluation, maritime, or unmanned-systems activities.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and the personnel, facilities, ranges, equipment, instrumentation, and other resources required to execute complex test or operational events.
• Demonstrated understanding of test planning, risk management, test execution, data collection and analysis, deficiency documentation, and technical reporting.
• Experience with USV, maritime, robotic/autonomous systems, testing, engineering, integration, or mission support.
• Demonstrated leadership, technical judgment, and ability to independently coordinate complex activities involving multiple organizations and stakeholders.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• U.S. citizenship required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) or an equivalent recognized military test pilot school as a pilot, Naval Flight Officer, or flight test engineer.
• Previous experience serving as a developmental test Project Officer, Test Director, Test Conductor, or equivalent test-team lead.
• Previous developmental test experience supporting NTWL, Naval Test Wing Pacific (NTWP), or a comparable DoD test organization.
• Military or civilian experience operating USVs or performing duties directly supporting unmanned or autonomous maritime operations.
• Experience with complex command-and-control, communications, navigation, autonomy, payload, sensor, or mission systems.
• Experience coordinating maritime test ranges, operating areas, tracking and telemetry systems, targets, support vessels, instrumentation, or other test resources.
• Working knowledge of COLREGS, U.S. Inland Navigation Rules, maritime navigation, collision avoidance, and vessel safety practices.
• Experience with autonomous systems, advanced autonomy, human-machine teaming, or integration of unmanned systems into complex test environments.
• Formal maritime training, qualifications, or relevant maritime operating experience.
• Formal maritime training or qualification, such as U.S. Navy Officer of the Deck (OOD), Command Duty Officer (CDO), Surface Warfare qualification, senior Quartermaster (QM) or Boatswain’s Mate (BM) experience, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential, or comparable military or civilian maritime qualification.
• Master’s degree in engineering, systems engineering, test and evaluation, maritime systems, or another relevant technical field.

Work Environment

• Primary work location will be the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland area, to include Webster Outlying Field. Highly qualified candidates who reside in the vicinity of Little Creek, VA, Panama City, FL, Port Hueneme, CA, or Keyport, WA, may also be considered for hybrid positions.
• This is primarily an on-site position supporting Government test activities.
• Work may include operations at waterfront facilities, aboard support vessels, at maritime test ranges, or at temporary and remote test locations.
• Travel may be required to support test events and program activities.

Compensation: $127,000-$191,000. The salary range posted is based on the national average. The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s location, knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or experience, contract affordability, and in consideration of internal parity.

Additional Compensation: KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of a sign‑on bonus, relocation benefits, short‑term incentives, long‑term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

KBR Benefits: KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and foster an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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