Military

Chief Engineer, SYD 85/ BNA

Space Systems Command ยท Department of the Air Force
๐Ÿ“ Colorado Springs, Colorado NH-4 $129,086 - $197,200/yr
Posted: Oct 13, 2026 Deadline: Oct 20, 2026 (Closes in 5 days)

About This Position

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.

Qualifications

The 0801 series has an individual occupational requirement that must be met and can be viewed here. In addition to the above requirements you can view the experience level requirements here. Please scroll down to the 4th section titled Professional and Scientific Positions.

Major Duties

The United States Space Force (USSF) is searching for a Chief Engineer to support SYD 85/ BNA (NH-0801-04, GS-14/15 Equivalent). Position may be filled at either Los Angeles Space Force Base or Peterson Space Force Base Colorado Springs. Description: The United States Space Systems Command (SSC) is searching for a well-qualified candidate to fill the Chief Engineer position to support SYD 85/ BNA.

Come join our amazing team who helps to ensure there is never a day without space! Serves as the senior technical authority for the branch, bearing ultimate responsibility for the architectural cohesion and technical execution of the unified antenna enterprise. This role directs the integration of a sprawling system-of-systems that includes modern cloud-native software ecosystems, physical ground antennas, and legacy infrastructure.

The Chief Engineer ensures all components operate seamlessly together to deliver uninterrupted satellite command and control capabilities to the warfighter, driving the transition from pathfinder prototypes to full-scale enterprise production.

This position requires strategic decision support, analytical skills, time management and good communication (oral and written) skills. Ideal Candidate: Desired Skills/Expertise: - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Aerospace, or Systems Engineering, or a related STEM discipline, or equivalent experience in lieu of a degree (master's degree preferred) - Direct experience with satellite communication (SATCOM) ground segments, telemetry, tracking, and commanding (TT&C) systems, or antenna array architectures. - The candidate should have significant experience in Microsoft Office tools: Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Word. Position Responsibilities: - Direct the system-of-systems integration strategy, ensuring seamless interoperability between the software ecosystem, physical antennas, and legacy infrastructure. - Maintain architectural alignment across all program initiatives, dictating technical standards for the continuous software development pipeline and the transition from prototype to enterprise production. - Oversee the long-term technical roadmap, ensuring the platform successfully migrates through its employment and development phases toward a fully platform-agnostic enterprise control model. - Resolve high-level technical conflicts, manage overarching system requirements, and ensure the unified baseline delivers the required Common Operating Picture (COP) for military satellite operators.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 1. Knowledge of a wide range of advanced multidisciplinary professional engineering concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, and techniques to apply experimental theories and new developments to problems not susceptible to treatment by accepted methods, and to plan and execute specialized programs of marked difficulty, responsibility, and significance.

  1. Knowledge of the mission, roles, functions, organizational structure, and operation of the DoD and organizations that govern, interface with, and/or influence systems acquisition, development, and/or sustainment; and knowledge of planning, programming, and budgeting cycles, financial systems, and restrictions on expenditure of funds.
  2. Knowledge of and skill in evaluating state-of-the-art and advancements in theory, application, technology, and policy affecting systems being developed, and in planning, organizing, and directing the functions and staff in critical aspects of development, production, and/or support of systems, subsystems, or equipment.
  3. Knowledge of safety, security, personnel management, and EEO regulations, practices, and procedures.
  4. Skill in establishing and maintaining effective relationships, building consensus and coalitions, negotiating, and resolving conflicts with a variety of individuals and organizations as well as communicating effectively, clearly, concisely and with technical accuracy both orally and in writing with technical accuracy. Use computers and a variety of software programs and databases, gather and analyze a variety of program information, make sound judgments concerning program progress, and effectively communicate recommendations orally and in writing to higher organizational management and contractors.

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.

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.

How to Apply

Do not email applications. To submit your resume for this Direct Hire opportunity click here. PLEASE

NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.

You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Required Documents

Resume: 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Chief Engineer, SYD 85/ BNA position at Space Systems Command?
The salary range for this position is $129,086 - $197,200/yr. This is a NH-4 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Chief Engineer, SYD 85/ BNA job located?
This position is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
The 0801 series has an individual occupational requirement that must be met and can be viewed here. In addition to the above requirements you can view the experience level requirements here. Please scroll down to the 4th section titled Professional and Scientific Positions.
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Oct 20, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Top Secret clearance is required.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.