NAVAL ARCHITECT (NH-4)
Naval Sea Systems Command
Washington, DC · $144k–$197k a year · Posted October 16, 2026
See every open role at Naval Sea Systems Command
More in District of Columbia job market · Government & Public Sector · Engineering jobs
About the job
Summary
This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will not be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants must follow the directions in the "How to Apply" section of this flyer to be considered. There may or may not be actual vacancies filled from this flyer. Notice of Result letters will not be sent to applicants who respond to this flyer.
Duties
You will serve as a Naval Architect - Aircraft Ship Design Manager (SDM), Technical Warrant Holder (TWH) in the PAE Maritime Carrier Engineering Team. You will serve as a Technical Warrant Holder with authority, responsibility, and accountability to establish, monitor, and approve technical standards, tools, and processes. You will direct naval architecture aspects of major aircraft carrier program systems integration providing the shipbuilder’s and aircraft carrier platform perspective in the development and integration of subsystems, components, and products. You will develop engineering policy for compliance by Navy project engineers, PARMs/ISEAs integrating their systems into aircraft carriers, and contractors developing, constructing, maintaining, and modernizing aircraft carriers and systems. You will responsible for articulating the scope and execution of engineering support from the Aircraft Carrier Engineering Team for the Program Executive Office (PEO) Carriers and Aircraft Carrier Type Commanders. You will direct/manage a project team or the overall developments effort for major Navy program assignments which require the highly skilled application of scientific and systems engineering theories, concepts and principles. You will Develop and set engineering policy for compliance by Navy project engineers as well as contractors developing and constructing ship and systems to meet our Nation's vital security needs. You will direct the assessment of high-risk high-value technical issues to determine the range of acceptable solutions and thresholds for acceptable performance for ship/sub/small craft and their system(s) in the U.S. Fleet.
Qualifications
Your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of experience at or equivalent to the next lower pay band, NH-03 (GS-14 Equivalent), in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector as a professional engineer managing systems engineering projects to support the design, development, construction or maintenance and modernization of ships or ship systems. Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/classifying-general-schedule-positions/standards/0800/gs0800p.pdfhttps://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/classifying-general-schedule-positions/standards/0800/gs0800p.pdf 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 the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual: 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. -OR- 2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional 1For more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org. 2The FE examination is not administered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/HowtoGetLicensed/index.html. 1 registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. -OR- 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. -OR- 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 allinclusive.)
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. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be 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. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies: Naval Architecture Ship System Design Problem Solving Engineering Project Management Oral Communication Written Communication As vacancies occur, the Human Resources Office will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this flyer. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume, along with your supporting documentation. If selected, you may be required to provide additional supporting documentation. If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible/not qualified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All qualification requirements must be met before being considered for any vacancies.
How to apply
Interested Applicants must submit resumes/application packages to: https://navsea.recsolu.com/app/collect/event/OwHyYLsQtuLCKXwHfGY94A Facsimile applications will not be considered. All resumes/applications must be received no later than the close date of this flyer. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents, are received, legible, and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.
Other information
This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program. Several vacancies may be filled. 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. 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. Veteran's preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this specific hiring authority. However, if you claim veteran's preference, you will be required to submit supporting documentation with your application as described in the Required Documents section below. You may serve in a SDM position in support of the CVN 78 Class acquisition / new construction program, the CVN 68 Class and/or CVN 78 Class In-Service Operations and Sustainment programs, the CVN 68 Class Refueling and Complex Overhaul program, or the CVN Inactivation and Disposal program.