Electronics Engineer

Federal Aviation Administration •

Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States

Position Type: Contractor

Job Description:

This position serves as an Electronics Engineer who applies comprehensive technical knowledge and understanding of the theories, concepts, and principles of radio frequency propagation, electromagnetic capability analyses of radio frequency dependents systems, and rules and regulations applicable to federal and non-Federal use of the radio frequency spectrum. This position is critical to safe and efficient operation of the NAS.

Duties

The Electronics Engineer applies experience and advanced knowledge of electronics engineering and electromagnetic theory, concepts, and principles related to radio frequency propagation and protection, including the development of processes and criteria to ensure the coexistence between federal and non-federal spectrum users without degradation of National Airspace System (NAS) services.

Applies knowledge of Federal and non-Federal spectrum engineering and management policies, regulation, and best practices to identify and analyze radio frequency issues for complex NAS systems and ensures that government policy for frequency engineering is met.

Analyzes actions for proper distribution, validates the proper input into appropriate action databases, and provides coordination with affected parties to ensure on-time completion of deadlines and milestones. Utilizes risk and safety management in work practices to ensure actions do not compromise safety and/or the availability of services to the NAS. Develops documentation, reports, and briefings to include analysis of findings.

Performs Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) analyses to federal and non-federal frequency coordination requests to ensure new or existing spectrum users will not cause interference or degradation to critical communication, navigation and/or surveillance (CNS) aeronautical facilities and to establish frequency protection criteria for new evolving technology.

Conducts engineering testing or analysis necessary to characterize the radio frequency response NAS systems and/or non-NAS systems to inform management of outcomes that may results in required changes to ensure an interfere-free environment for NAS CNS systems. Conducts analysis to identify interference to CNS systems from new technologies or modification of existing technologies.

As a radio frequency management engineer ensures that frequency appropriate 5 or 10-year cycle, for the assigned bands meet all the Federal frequency management policies to maintain a license in the Government Master File (GMF); and ensure that external experimental or operational frequencies are reviewed following the established criteria and/or develop new criteria as needed.

Contacts are internal and external to the Spectrum Engineering Services Group and other lines of business or staff offices within the FAA, although there is contact with external entities such as DOD, DHS, FCC, NTIA, and the General Public. Gathers necessary information required to contribute to the preparation or updating of any criteria or new criteria in FAA Orders or any other bidding document impacting the frequency. May be called upon to communicate the overall results of a project or work activity to FAA management, the aviation and aerospace industries, and other external parties.

Presents informational briefings, technically complex topics to a high-level functionally diverse audience with a range of technical backgrounds to obtain consensus or approval on policies. Coordinates the review of significant technical matters with external stakeholders.

Resolves all but unique technical problems without the intervention of management or a more experienced engineer. Identifies and informs management of problems that require their attention. Often develops and recommends techniques to address problem situations.

Work is reviewed rarely, through status reports and at project completion, for technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity. Work activities typically support and may be vital to the success of projects or activities of one or more organizational units, subdivisions, and LOBs/SOs.

Job Requirements:
Requirements Conditions of Employment

US Citizenship is required.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.

Qualifications

In addition to meeting the educational requirements specified below:

You must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the FV-I, FG/GS-13 level. This experience is typically related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized Experience is defined as:

Experience assisting in developing processes and analyses to determine radio coverage of communication, navigation and/or surveillance (CNS) systems.

AND

Knowledge of radio frequency licensing requirements in the land mobile and satellite frequency bands.¿

In addition to the above, this position also has a Quality Ranking Factor (QRF). Applicants meeting the minimum response level to the QRF will be placed in a Well Qualified category. This QRF may be found in the Other Factors section of this vacancy.

Knowledge of radio frequency dependent systems within the National Airspace System (NAS).

You should include relevant examples of the specialized experience in your work history. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered.

Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation that you have this type of experience later in the selection process. Your responses are subject to verification through job interviews, or any other information obtained during the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or any attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and/or selective placement factor(s) (SPF) may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) and/or Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: (1) score order; (2) category grouping; (3) alphabetical; or (4) priority grouping and referred to the selecting official for selection consideration.

*Applicants who fail to demonstrate possession of any of the above criteria AND who do not provide the required documentation will receive no further consideration for this position. *

Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.

**All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.**

For guidance on how to create a Federal resume, visit http://www.archives.gov/careers/jobs/forms/resume-guide.pdf.

Please DO NOT email your application documents. We cannot accept documents received via the email system. Documents sent via email will NOT receive consideration.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: 1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

If you are a current or former Federal employee, and you currently hold or previously held a position classified in the 0800 occupational series, you are not required to submit a college transcript provided you upload a copy of the SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, verifying your classification in the 0800 occupational series.

Applicants, who are not currently in the 0800 occupational series in the Federal Government and fail to provide a copy of an unofficial or official transcript will not receive further consideration for this vacancy. Upon selection, if not currently employed in the 0800 occupational series, you will be required to submit an official transcript prior to appointment. If you do not have an official transcript (original, with the raised seal), you should contact your school immediately to request it.

Foreign Education: For additional information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Required Documents

Only supplemental documentation, e.g. transcripts or veteran's documentation will be accepted in combination with your on-line application. These documents must be uploaded on or before the closing date of this announcement. All submitted documents should reference the announcement number. 30% or More Disabled Veteran: You must submit a DD 214 (Member 4 copy is preferred), and documentation as required by form SF-15 such as an official statement from the Dept of Veterans Affairs or from branch of the Armed Forces certifying to the present existence of service-connected disability. Persons with Disabilities/Persons with Targeted Disabilities: You must provide proof of disability documentation (i.e. Schedule A Letter) that: 1) May be a letter or other documentation on official stationery/ letterhead with an official signature. 2) Clearly states that you are eligible for appointment under the PWD/ PWTD hiring authority or a Schedule A appointment as outlined in 5 CFR Section 213.3102(u). 3) Does not need to detail the specific disability, medical history, or need for accommodation.

This position has a positive education requirement; college transcripts are required for ALL candidates newly appointed to the FAA in the 0800 (Engineering) series.

College transcripts must be submitted from current FAA employees applying for internal vacancies if they have never held a position in the 0800 (Engineering) series with the FAA.

College transcripts are not required from current FAA employees who are currently occupying an 0800 (Engineering) series.

If selected, official transcripts are required prior to employment.

If you are an FAA employee, you MUST provide a copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) containing information in Blocks 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, and 24 so it can be used to verify your position title, series, grade, tenure, and organization of record by the closing date of the announcement. You may fax your SF-50 or upload it into the on-line application. If faxing the SF-50, please ensure you include the vacancy announcement number on the faxed copy.

If you are an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system https://eopf.opm.gov/dot/.

Forms:

OF-306 : Declaration for Federal Employment
SF-15 : Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Salary Range: $123,884 - $192,056

Job Ident #: 794205000

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Electronics Engineer

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