Full Job Description
About the Role:
The Air Force Test Center is looking for a Full-Time Telemetry Engineer (NH-0854-03 or NH-1550-03)to work at the 96 Test Wing, 96 Range Group, 96 Range Control Squadron, Telemetry Section (96 RNCS/RNCOT) at Eglin Air Force Base.
96TH TEST WING MISSION: We test and evaluate state-of-the-art weapon systems and cyberspace capabilities, provide quality installation and mission support, and serve as responsible stewards of our resources to deliver war-winning capabilities.
APPLY NOW! THIS JOB CAN CLOSE AT ANY TIME!
Location: Eglin Air Force Base
Typical 2026 salary range: $ 89,508- $138,369 per year (includes locality)
If your current basic salary is within the band, but above the stated VOP, your basic salary will not be reduced if you are selected for the position.
Telework Information: Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) prescribed "Unscheduled Telework"
Travel Requirements: Up to 25% travel possible
Direct Hire Authority: NO 6-MONTH WAIT! Recently retired and/or retiring from MILITARY service ARE eligible for immediate appointment for AFTC positions. The 180-day waiting period has been waived for AFTC to hire recently retired and/or retiring service members.
Must have requirements or may not be considered:
• Ability to obtain and maintain the required security clearance; the PRD identifies the position as requiring Top Secret eligibility/access.
• Knowledge of real-time and post-flight telemetry mission-room systems, associated software, and their application to weapon-system test and evaluation.
• Experience applying computer engineering or computer science principles, procedures, requirements, and mission-support systems, particularly real-time data-processing systems.
• Knowledge of telemetry systems, real-time data acquisition, advanced computer hardware/software, and aircraft or weapon-system test environments.
• Knowledge of test-range instrumentation and sensors, including their use in data collection and processing.
• Ability to gather customer requirements, assess feasible technical approaches, and develop telemetry attributes or data-processing solutions that meet mission needs and schedules.
• Ability to analyze complex technical problems; conduct research; develop solutions; and summarize findings and recommendations.
• Ability to communicate technical issues, results, requirements, project status, and resource considerations clearly in writing and verbally.
• Ability to lead technical efforts and mentor junior engineers and scientists in telemetry operations, signal processing, data acquisition, data reduction, display, and troubleshooting.
• Willingness to travel occasionally and work overtime as mission requirements dictate.
Desired Skills:
High interest in candidates who bring one or more of the following strengths:
• Innovative telemetry data processing and visualization: Experience developing or integrating tools, methods, or displays that improve the speed, accuracy, and usability of telemetry data for test teams.
• Hands-on system integration and troubleshooting: Experience testing software updates and hardware upgrades, diagnosing complex system anomalies, and implementing corrective actions in operational environments.
• Continuous improvement mindset: Demonstrated ability to improve technical procedures, streamline workflows, reduce processing time, and turn lessons learned into practical mission-support improvements.
Major Duties:
• Perform engineering work to gather requirements, design, test, upgrade, deploy, and sustain telemetry data-processing and analysis products supporting test and evaluation missions.
• Coordinate engineering projects with subject-matter experts, configuration managers, engineers, technicians, customers, and leadership to develop timely and feasible telemetry solutions.
• Lead or contribute to complex technical efforts, applying modern engineering principles to develop real-time test-data presentation and analysis capabilities.
• Plan, configure, and execute real-time telemetry mission support for Central Control Facility missions using established procedures, processes, and checklists.
• Monitor and analyze real-time telemetry data to verify data integrity, accuracy, reliability, and usability during mission execution.
• Serve as a technical expert for Mission Control Room computer systems, software architecture, operations, and telemetry-processing functions.
• Evaluate and improve engineering procedures, technical guidance, checklists, analysis tools, technical reports, briefings, and other mission-support documentation.
• Maintain telemetry project information and ensure compliance with configuration-management, data-storage, and control procedures.
• Mentor and train junior engineers and scientists in real-time and post-flight telemetry systems, signal processing, data acquisition, data display, data reduction, and troubleshooting.
• Maintain awareness of current test-and-evaluation technologies; communicate technical findings and recommendations to management, customers, and technical stakeholders; and ensure adherence to applicable technical, safety, and security requirements.
Qualifications/Requirements:
U.S. Citizenship (Required)
PROBATIONARY PERIOD STATEMENT: (Required) - For All Positions
Depending on the type of position (competitive/excepted) you are selected for, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period. Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
(NOTE: Typically, the 1-year probationary period is for Competitive Jobs, and 2-year trail period is for Excepted Jobs.)
Drug Testing: (if applicable)
This is a designated Drug Testing Position
Security Clearance: (Required)
Must be able to obtain and maintain and "Top Secret" security clearance
Education Requirements: (if applicable)
Candidates must meet the qualification requirements for the occupational series under which they are considered-Computer Engineer, 0854, or Computer Scientist, 1550. The PRD identifies a bachelor's degree in engineering or computer science from an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology-accredited institution as desired.
0854: 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.
1550: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.
DAWIA Certification: (if applicable)
Must be able to obtain and maintain the required level of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification within 9 months of assigned duties.
Top 5-6 job related KSAs: (Required)
• Knowledge of real-time and post-flight telemetry systems and software used to support weapon-system testing.
• Skill in designing, testing, upgrading, and deploying telemetry data-processing and analysis tools.
• Knowledge of telemetry data acquisition, signal processing, computer hardware and software, and data-display systems.
• Knowledge of test-range instrumentation and sensors used to collect and process test data.
• Skill in identifying technical problems, researching root causes, and developing practical solutions for complex hardware, software, and data issues.
• Ability to lead technical work and train junior engineers in telemetry operations, data processing, troubleshooting, and mission support.
Air Force Civilian Service Employment Benefits:
Paid Time Off:
11 Federal Holidays each year
13 sick leave days earned per year (accumulative)
Paid Vacation Time:
13-26 days per year based on length of employment
Health Insurance:
No waiting period to qualify for you and your family
Retirement:
Immediate coverage by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
Basic Benefits Plan
Social Security:
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), like a 401(k) (Automatically receive 1% agency contributions and up to 5% matching)
Health & Wellness:
Various Medical
Flexible Spending Account
Federal Long Term Care Insurance, and Life & Disability Insurance
Work/Life Balance:
Family and Medical Leave Act
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Flexible Work Arrangements (dependent on position)
Career Development:
Tuition Assistance & Professional Development opportunities
Career enhancement and promotion opportunities
To learn more about our benefits, please check out the AFTC Benefits Trifold at https://simplebooklet.com/260902aftcbenefitstrifold
Federal Resume Tips:
Resumes limited to two pages. Federal agencies now only accept resumes up to two pages in length.
Learn more about the new resume requirements at:
https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
https://afciviliancareers.com/PDF/FederalResumeWriting.pdf
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Classification & Qualifications for Federal Government Employees:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/
Please visit the Air Force Test Center job board to view other career opportunities: https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/Jobs/
