Aerospace Engineer (Helicopters)

Join the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Office of Aviation Safety in Washington, D.C., supporting high-impact aviation investigations. In this role, you will apply aerospace engineering expertise to helicopter accidents, help shape technical findings, and contribute to safety recommendations that inform the final accident report. The position includes major team deployments for national and international investigations, along with a comprehensive federal benefits package.

Responsibilities

• Support major team launches for national and international investigations.
• Serve as the Helicopter Airworthiness Group Chairperson, providing authoritative engineering expertise on helicopter and VSTOL powerplants, structures, control systems and dynamics design, manufacturing, certification, and maintenance.
• Participate in on-site investigations and initial analyses of helicopter evidence to identify requirements for post-accident examinations, test plans, and investigative steps to determine root cause.
• Coordinate and travel to follow-up examinations of components that may be critical to the accident cause or contributing factors.
• Lead examination work in the field, documenting observations in field notes.
• Collaborate with the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) by providing factual notes that summarize findings collected during on-site work and follow-up testing.
• Prepare factual and analysis reports for helicopter accidents based on facts, conditions, and circumstances identified through the investigation.
• Correlate findings with those from other Group Chairpersons to support identification of the accident cause(s).
• Develop safety recommendations for hazardous conditions.
• Prepare comprehensive, factual conclusions for inclusion in the Safety Board’s accident report.

Work location and travel

This position is located in Washington, D.C. (onsite). Major go-team launch teams commonly travel on the FAA jet from Reagan National Airport within two hours after an accident notification is received. International travel may require host-country visa issuance, and security concerns may require investigative teams to travel together.

Benefits

• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, plus various benefits.
• Work-life amenities including alternate work schedules, telework, flextime, fitness, and transit benefits.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship.
• If a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, be registered to be eligible for appointment.
• Suitability for Federal employment.
• Financial interest in transportation enterprises will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• Bargaining Unit Position: YES - Bargaining unit represented by NTSB-AFGE Local 2211.
• Direct Deposit is required.
• Subject to a one-year probationary period unless previously met requirements as described in 5 CFR Part 315.
• May be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450) upon entering the position and annually.
• Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Eligible for ad-hoc/situational telework as determined by agency policy.
• THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REMOTE TELEWORK.
• A background security investigation is required for all new hires; appointment is subject to successful completion and favorable adjudication.
• Two-page resume limit: Resumes must not be more than two standard single-sided pages (or one page if submitting a front and back, hard-copy).
• Must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the federal service.
• Must possess a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree in professional engineering meeting specified curriculum conditions, or qualify via an applicable combination of education and experience options (professional registration/licensure; written test; specified academic courses; related curriculum).
• Provide official or unofficial transcripts or other documentation to support educational claims.
• Executing helicopter component engineering evaluation for root cause failure analysis and designing or overseeing inspection techniques, functional tests, or hazard analyses to identify systemic helicopter issues, and authoring technical engineering reports used to inform regulatory compliance, airworthiness certification, or industry safety.
• Note: IN DESCRIBING EXPERIENCE, be clear and specific; the agency will not make assumptions. The resume must clearly show specialized experience and competencies; otherwise an “Ineligible” rating may result.

Salary and appointment details

• Salary range: USD 143,913 - 187,093 per year.
• Experience requirement: 1 year.
• Direct Hire Authority: used to fill this position; competitive rating, ranking, and veterans’ preference procedures do not apply.
• Security and eligibility checks: NTSB uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of newly hired employees.