Summary This position is part of the Warfare Centers Personnel Demonstration Project. The ND-5 pay band encompasses positions equivalent to GS-14 and GS-15.
You will serve as a Branch Head in the Electromagnetic & Sensor Systems Department, Electromagnetic Effects Division (Code B50) of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. Duties You will be responsible for the technical, financial, and administrative leadership of a branch within the Electromagnetic Effects Division (Code B50). | You will refine and achieve the branch's mission and vision. | You will ensure the application of technical rigor to the execution of the branch's projects and programs. | You will develop coordinated and common testing, evaluation, assessment and analysis processes across the Division portfolio. | You will ensure projects and programs that cross branch lines in B50 are effectively managed. | You will identify technical and programmatic gaps and provide strategic insight and vision with respect to the way-ahead for future system integration initiatives. | You will evaluate and develop the branch's workforce capabilities and capacities. | You will provide technical support, leadership, resource support, and mentorship to project leads, group leaders, and employees. | You will represent B50 on departmental teams or boards and serve as a senior leadership representative to the B50 sponsor community. | You will perform supervisory duties for Branch employees, including performance and compensation, providing feedback to employees. coaching and mentoring, performance evaluations, and conflict resolution. | You will understand Branch personnel requirements, participate in Division recruiting efforts, and share personnel resources to meet Division goals. | You will complete supervisory approvals for personnel, such as travel, timecards, telework, leave, and overtime requests. | You will ensure cost, schedule, risk, and performance are tracked and managed. | You will work and communicate with Division and across Divisions on Division-level thrusts.
Qualifications
This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled by a General Engineer (0801-series), an Electrical Engineer (0850-series), an Operations Research Analyst (1515-series), a Mathematician (1520-series), or a Computer Scientist (1550-series) depending upon the qualifications of the candidate. Applicants in positions with occupational series other than those listed (0801, 0850, 1515, 1520 and 1550) may apply; however, you must apply directly to the series listed in this vacancy that is most applicable to your qualifications.
In addition to the Basic Requirements for this position, your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the ND-4 pay band (GS-12 and GS-13 equivalency) in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: As a professional engineer or scientist providing leadership, engineering expertise, and technical guidance through the application of a wide range of systems engineering principles to develop naval warfare systems.
Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series
Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR):
All Professional Engineering Positions, 08XX
Operations Research Series, 1515
Mathematics Series, 1520
Computer Science Series, 1550
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.Education Applicants must meet at least one of the following positive education qualifications requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:
- Professional Engineering Series (08XX) - Degree: A professional engineering degree from an ABET-accredited college or university; OR a degree with curriculum in differential and integral calculus, with additional courses 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
- Professional Engineering Series (08XX) - Substitution of Education/Experience: A combination of education and experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional 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: (a) professional registration, (b) evidence of successfully passing the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination; (c) successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified above; or (d) successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering provided that it included at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. (Note to Applicants: Please see the Qualifications & Education sections of this announcement for a link to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Individual Occupational Requirements. OPM guidance indicates that there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience. This training plan or experience must be well documented and provided at time of application.); OR
- 1515-Operations Research Series: A degree in operations research; or a related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses. At least 3 of these 24 semester hours must have been in calculus; OR
- 1520-Mathematics Series: A degree in mathematics; or a combination of education and experience - courses equivalent to a major in mathematics (including at least 24 semester hours in mathematics), plus appropriate experience or additional education. The total coursework described above must have included differential and integral calculus and, in addition, four advanced mathematics courses requiring calculus or equivalent mathematics courses as a prerequisite; OR
- 1550-Computer Science Series: A degree in computer science; or a degree with at least 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of these 30 semester hours must have been in a combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus.
How you will be evaluated In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.
When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and application package, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies:
- DEVELOPING OTHERS
- ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- INFLUENCING/NEGOTIATING
- PARTNERING
- PROBLEM SOLVING
- SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
This recruitment will utilize the following technical assessment tools: Structured Resume Review and Structured Interview.
You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
All eligibility and qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. How to apply Click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Complete resume with relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week if experience was less than full time (35-40 hours per week), pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.
- Supporting documentation
Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
Your complete application must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 11/23/2026. Applications received after 11/23/2026 will generally result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed.
For additional information on viewing your application status, click https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents are legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. Other information This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.
Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.
A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.
During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf
In addition to meeting all minimum qualification and eligibility requirements, ICTAP applicants must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. A well-qualified ICTAP applicant is one who possesses the competencies and experience to perform the duties of the position successfully with orientation to learn/understand the activities, procedures, policies and processes. Demonstrated work experience in the occupation is typically qualifying for placement. This criterion cannot be met by education and training. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate.
For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/
Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ). A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position.
PPP applicants will be placed at the FPL, if determined Well Qualified (WQ). To receive priority consideration, the FPL must be the same grade level or equivalent of the retained grade or the grade held immediately prior to separation.
