Defense Jobs Blog - Department of Defense Jobs

Jobs Blog: Getting Your Foot In the Door at Defense Contractors

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:22:15 +0000

Jobs Blog: Getting Your Foot
In the Door at Defense Contractors

By Sarah E. Needleman

Looking to expand your online job hunt beyond the big boards? Web sites and email lists dedicated to postings in specific fields can supplement your search. Here's a look at niche job boards and email newsletters from around the Web. (Some links may require registration or subscriptions.)

Defense companies are clamoring for candidates with security clearances, but these door-openers are hard for most job hunters to come by. Here's a rundown of sites devoted to postings at defense contractors, most with ads open to applicants without these special government clearances.

DefenseJobsBlog.com carries only openings that don't require security clearance. The blog links to posts for senior-level defense-company jobs from other employment sites. About 20 new positions are listed daily and 40 to 60 jobs are posted on average. They pay annual salaries from $50,000 to $110,000, reports Jason Gorham, chief executive officer of Careermetasearch.com, which publishes the blog. The Lake Worth, Fla., firm also publishes SecurityClearanceJobsBlog.com, which posts similar jobs that do require security clearance, says Mr. Gorham.

Intelligence and surveillance pros, engineers, systems analysts and linguists can check out IntelligenceCareers.com. About 80% of the site's jobs don't require security clearance, reports Bill Golden, chief executive officer of the site's publisher, Intelligence Careers Inc. in Prince William, Va. About 800 new posts are added daily. Advertisers are mostly private-sector employers, nonprofits and executive-search firms.

The National Defense Industrial Association publishes a job bank at defensejobs.com. Advertisers are primarily defense contractors, but you can find postings from government agencies and academic institutions. Approximately half of the jobs require security clearances, says Thomas Nordby, assistant vice president of business operations at the industry association, which is based in Arlington, Va. Up to 10 new positions are listed weekly, and around 70 jobs typically are posted. They include only mid- and senior-level posts and pay between $60,000 and $200,000 in annual salary, he says. The site also features a calendar that lists the six to seven job fairs that the association hosts annually nationwide.

DefenseTalent.com supplies the postings for the career pages of a network of 26 defense-industry-related Web sites. About 85% of the positions listed require security clearances. They're advertised by mostly defense contractors and aerospace and homeland-security companies. Between 100 and 200 new jobs are added daily, and the site averages 2,000 positions from entry to senior level. Annual salaries range from $40,000 to $150,000, though the average salary offered to candidates is $115,000, says Dave Germond, chief executive officer of the Riverview, Fla.-based job board.

Among the sites in the network is RFcafe.com, a site for radio-frequency (RF), wireless, science and engineering professionals. Its message board offers additional job postings. Executive recruiters and corporate human-resources managers post one to two new jobs there weekly, some requiring security clearances, says Kirt Blattenberger, an RF system and circuit-design engineer who co-publishes the site with his wife Melanie in Kernersville, N.C.

Those who have security clearances will find plenty of ads on ClearedConnections.com and ClearanceJobs.com. ClearedConnections posts jobs from only classified government contractors requiring security clearances for employment. Twenty to 100 new positions are added daily and about 1,000 positions usually are listed. An additional 30,000 to 50,000 jobs that the Reston, Va.-based site is trying to fill aren't listed for security purposes, says Robert Esti, site's founder and president. To be considered for these opportunities, post your resume through the site's secure submission function, he says.

ClearanceJobs is a site from the information-technology job board Dice.com that targets IT and engineering professionals with security clearances. About 2,500 new positions are added monthly, and 1,500 jobs are listed on average, reports Evan Lesser, co-founder and director of the site, which is based in Urbandale, Iowa. The jobs, from entry to senior level, pay annual salaries ranging from $30,000 to $200,000. Government contractors post the majority of jobs, with the remainder from federal agencies, executive-search firms, private companies, nonprofits and academic institutions. The site also provides free resume critiquing from certified resume writers who will post your resume on the site for you.

Finally, we found the most positions by far listed at the Web site of the U.S. Department of Defense, dod.jobsearch.org. During a recent visit, a search of all jobs in the U.S. produced more than 35,000 results. Jobs from entry to senior level are in more than 40 career fields, including health care, law, sales, finance and transportation.

SYSTEM SECURITY ENGINEER - Colorado - COLORADO SPRINGS

Mon, 21 Mar 2005 23:01:13 +0000

Individual will perform as a security engineer assisting in the planning and preparation for site certifications and /or Developmental Testing. Must be able to perform certification on applications, systems and procedures as part of a site certification team. Will be responsible for writing Security Test and Evaluation procedures to verify security architecture implementation on these systems. Assess compliance based on DOD security policies and corresponding security test and evaluation procedures. Create reports and briefings on the results of the evaluations. Individual may be required to take on an advisory role to system

Learn More: http://www.careermetasearch.com

SYSTEMS TEST ENGINEER - Florida - Eglin AFB

Fri, 18 Mar 2005 15:05:07 +0000

The candidate selected will be actively involved in testing current and next generation joint service computer based mission planning products. They will plan, coordinate, and monitors test projects that frequently require significant modification of standard practices to obtain valid results. The individual selected will assess the feasibility and soundness of proposed engineering evaluation tests when necessary data are insufficient or confirmation by additional testing is advisable. The engineer will make recommendations and commitments on the conventional aspects of the testing assignments.

US Citizenship required. Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirement to access classified information.

Learn More: http://www.careermetasearch.com

SENIOR ANALYST - Ohio - DAYTON

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 16:40:59 +0000

TYBRIN Corporation is seeking a Senior Functional Analyst with experience in DoD accounting and mission support systems for a potential DoD contract award. Work located at WPAFB/AFRL in Dayton, OH. This position is with the team that develops, supports, and maintains systems for AFRL Information Technology Management Information Systems.

Learn More: http://www.careermetasearch.com

Defense News

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 21:46:39 +0000

DOD Financial Consultant - Indiana - INDIANAPOLIS

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 16:21:33 +0000

Candidate should have a minimum of 3 years experience with Department of Defense financial management, accounting processes, and systems. Individual will be involved with gathering and documenting functional requirements for a large customer Oracle implementation for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).

Learn More: http://www.careermetasearch.com

TECHNICAL WRITER/TEST ENGINEER-Alabama - HUNTSVILLE

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 22:53:29 +0000

Individual selected will provide liaison between the development team and user base for the purpose of organizing beta testing of mission planning software and recording/disseminating feedback and results. The canidate will also support functional test activities. The Responsibilities will include: Developing necessary policy and planning documentation. Developing and maintaining positive relationships between the user base, System Support Representatives and the development team and producing help documentation and training assistance. The candidate will also be supporting and performing functional test activities. The individual selected for the position will solicit and encourage user feedback and facilitate open communication of deficiencies and enhancements. Applicant must be a motivated self-starter capable of effectively completing necessary tasking with little guidance or oversight. Applicant must be able to assist with investigating functional test issues and participate as a functional tester when necessary.

Apply: http://www.careermetasearch.com

SYSTEMS/PROCESS ANALYST III - California Edwards AFB

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 23:35:59 +0000

Directly interacts with the customer to analyze current business processes, determine business process improvement requirements, and propose streamlined business processes. Interview process end user to determine aggregate requirements and documents the findings. Produce flow charts of business processes to be used to develop automated business solutions using Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) products (e.g. enterprise implementations of OpenText™, LiveLink™, TechLib™, BRIO™, MS SQL, .ASP, and ORACLE products). Perform activity based costing analysis to determine where the greatest cost inefficiencies appear within the process being analyzed. Establish implementation roadmaps, and assist in implementing approved improvements. Through interaction with the customer determine the related metrics that must result from the process. Has working knowledge of DoD instructions, Air Force Standards/Instructions, and organizational structure as related to business process requirements. Provides training to personnel on management policies, processes, improvements, techniques, implementation steps and automation tools. Train personnel in process improvement techniques and implementation steps. Has the qualifications of the level two and at least 5 years of experience with a graduate level degree, or 7 years experience with an undergraduate degree or 13 or more years of experience in the discipline and has achieved the proficiency normally expected of a middle/lead employee in the Process Analyst career field without a degree. Performs without routine guidance and provides guidance on a routine basis to less experienced specialist.

Apply Now: http://www.careermetasearch.com

NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR - Florida EGLIN AFB

Thu, 03 Mar 2005 23:39:11 +0000

Candidate selected will perform network administrator duties in support of Microsoft Windows 2000 servers and in support of 2000/XP workstations in a government office environment. Individual will perform help desk duties and computer projects as needed in support of customer requirements.

US Citizenship required. Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirement to access classified

Learn More: http://www.careermetasearch.com

TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS SPECIALIST - Utah Hill AFB

Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:08:29 +0000

Individual selected will develop and maintain AFMSS related Technical Orders (T.O.s). Support the Mission Planning User’s Conference (MPUC) as required. Proactively participate as contributing member of the MPSSF Integrated Product Team (IPT), providing analysis, assessment, and suggesting changes to ensure continuous improvement of service to the warfighter.

US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Learn More: http://www.careermetasearch.com

SYSTEMS TEST ENGINEER - FT.WALTON BEACH

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 23:51:35 +0000

Develop test plans, procedures, and document test results and defects for Windows-based, DOD mission planning software applications. Coordinate test activities, develop test schedules, and manage tests in a multiple application environment following structured procedures. Advise the test director on all aspects of test emphasizing risk to the overall project. Review work products for trends and support process improvement activities. Document test results and defects in a clear concise manner and present test findings to review panels.

US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Apply: http://www.careermetasearch.com

SOFTWARE QUALITY ENGINEER - Florida Fort Walton Beach

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 22:41:55 +0000

Individual selected will provide CMMI Level 2/3/4 quality assurance support within the scope of the Boeing subcontract for development of the C-130 AMP SOF Aircraft/Weapons/ Electronics (AWE) mission planning software for USAF special operations forces aircrews.

U.S. CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Apply at http://www.careermetasearch.com

SYSTEM SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE - Texas Ft. Hood

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 23:58:55 +0000

System Support Representative will provide on-site support at Ft. Hood, TX and to the U.S. Army Active Duty, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve facilities throughout Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma and provide surge support to other regions as required. Provide direct support to the U.S. Army Aviation Program Executive Office Assistant Program Manager for Army Aviation Mission Planning with operational/technical/developmental requirements, and the design, development, testing, training, and fielding of aviation mission planning systems for Army Aviation.

US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information....more

SR. ACQUISITION MANAGER - Wright-Patterson AFB

Tue, 22 Feb 2005 23:32:15 +0000

Senior level Acquisition professional will be responsible for interpreting, organizing, executing, and coordinating assignments. Acquisition Manager shall bec involved in the exploration of the subject area, definition of scope, and selection of problems for investigation. He/She will apply intensive and diverse knowledge to problems. Acquisition Manager may also be called on to support the Program Director from time to time at executive levels within the government and other contractor organizations, including major program reviews, inspections, conferences, and other program evaluations and major milestone events. Frequent contacts may be required between the program office, supporting government offices, other contractors, and higher headquarters mid to upper level staff...more

SOFPARS CLS FIELD ENGINEER - HULBURT Field

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:36:20 +0000

The CLS Field Engineer is required to perform on-site Installation, Operation, Maintenance, and System Administration of the Special Operations Forces Planning And Rehearsal System (SOFPARS) for the HQ AFSOC Directorate of Operations Command & Control Branch (HQ AFSOC/DOXC). The position requires a through knowledge of Portable Flight Planning System (PFPS), SOFPARS software and related hardware, which constitute the Mission Planning Environment (MPE)....more