Systems Engineer

Come be a part of something big! Smart Minds, Cool Jobs, and Awesome Rewards! Fueled by innovation, talent and ambition, the Air Force Civilian Service (AFCS) is seeking civilian professionals prepared to deploy war-winning capabilities on behalf of the United States Air Force. OPENS: 24 September 2026 CLOSES: 8 October 2026 **IMPORTANT**

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• Candidates may be asked to provide three professional references upon request. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) is seeking a full-time Systems Engineer (009868031M) to work in Nuclear Systems Integration Division (NDS) of the Air Delivered Capabilities Directorate, Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. The NH-0801-03 position has a typical 2026 salary range of $91,461 – $100,040 (basic salary without locality included). Locality for Albuquerque-Santa Fe area is 18.33% of basic salary. Value of Position (VoP) score of 75. **If your current basic salary is within the band, but above the stated Value of Position, your basic salary will not be reduced if you are selected for the position. Serves as a professional Systems Integration Engineer within the Nuclear Systems Integration Division, leading the United States Air Force’s technical and programmatic baseline integration efforts for the air-delivered leg of the nation's strategic nuclear deterrent. The incumbent is responsible for establishing, evaluating, and maintaining the integrated weapon system baseline between USAF delivery platforms (strategic bombers, dual-capable strike aircraft, air-launched cruise missiles) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) weapon programs across the joint acquisition and sustainment lifecycle. DUTIES:
• Technical Baseline & Compatibility Management: Applies advanced systems engineering principles to define, evaluate, and baseline weapon system "compatibility"—ensuring USAF platform performance, environmental carriage loads, and digital interfaces meet design limits and preserve weapon function, safety, and reliability throughout the calculated operational lifecycle.
• Interagency Technical Coordination: Collaborates directly with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Weapon Design Agencies (Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), and USAF Platform System Program Offices (SPOs) to allocate interface requirements, manage multi-party Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and resolve cross-organizational engineering discrepancies.
• Test, Evaluation & Digital Engineering: Formulates, plans, and oversees integration test and evaluation events (including flight tests, captive-carriage evaluations, and ground test units). Leverages modeling and simulation (M&S) and emerging Digital Engineering / Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies to validate platform interface designs and identify integration limitations.
• Sustainment & OSS&E Engineering Oversight: Provides technical oversight of sustainment and surveillance engineering, including Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SETR), Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs), and Operational Safety, Suitability, and Effectiveness (OSS&E) baseline preservation. Analyzes the impact of component obsolescence, material aging, and software updates on weapon system certification.
• Executive Technical Advisory: Advises Senior Leadership and Lead Project Officers (LPOs) on integration progress, weapon-to-platform compatibility risks, and lifecycle reliability mitigations within Project Officers Group (POG) Subgroups. SKILLS:
• Systems Engineering Expertise: Comprehensive professional knowledge of systems engineering principles, baseline management practices, and requirement allocation tools across complex aerospace hardware and software lifecycles.
• Interface & Compatibility Integration: Demonstrated ability to manage multi-disciplinary engineering interfaces (physical, electrical, digital protocols such as MIL-STD-1553/1760, and aerodynamic/environmental carriage loads) to ensure platform-to-payload compatibility.
• Interagency Collaboration & Consensus Building: Proven ability to communicate effectively, build technical consensus, and align priorities across diverse matrixed organizations, external government agencies, national laboratories, and defense contractors.
• Technical Analysis & Risk Management: Experience conducting technical trade studies, failure investigations, and risk and opportunity assessments, with the ability to synthesize complex data into actionable recommendations for program leadership.
• Executive Communication: Skill in delivering clear, concise, and persuasive technical briefings and preparing authoritative technical reports for executive leaders and multi-stakeholder boards.
• Desired Qualifications (Highly Regarded):
• Experience with nuclear weapon systems, nuclear safety certification standards (e.g., AFMAN 91-118 / AFI 91-103), or high-consequence safety-critical aerospace systems.
• Familiarity with joint defense and interagency acquisition frameworks (DoD 5000-series and joint DoD/DOE Phase 6.X lifecycle processes).
• Knowledge of aging aircraft/weapon systems, Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS), and OSS&E baseline sustainment. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION:
• U.S. Citizenship
• A professional engineering degree (B.S.) from an ABET-accredited institution is required (Master’s degree in Systems, Aerospace, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering is highly desirable).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance and meet Special Access Program (SAP) eligibility requirements.
• Acquisition Certification (APDP/DAWIA): This is a designated acquisition position covered by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA). The incumbent must achieve Engineering & Technical Management (ETM) – Practitioner certification within 24 months of appointment.
• Occasional business travel (TDY) is required (approximately 15–20% of the time) to support flight tests, program reviews, and national laboratory coordination meetings.