Ceramic Matrix Composite Performance SME

This job announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 11:45 PM EST, 28 July 2026.

The AFRL Foundational Technologies Directorate (AFRL/RE) seeks to hire a motivated and experienced, mid-level Materials or General Engineer to serve as a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) performance researcher in the Ceramics Branch (REN-C) of the Composite, Ceramic, Metallic and Material Performance Division (REN).

Position duties include, but are not limited to:

• Conducts research on ceramics and ceramic matrix composites for high temperature and multifunctional applications targeted for a range of Air Force and Space Force systems.
• May develop and implement multiscale ICME frameworks that link processing—including manufacturing defects and porosity—directly to CMC performance, damage evolution, and lifing predictions.
• May design targeted, thermo-mechanical testing matrices to validate predictive models against real-world failure of ceramic matrix composites.
• Collaborate with processing engineers to feed structural simulation data and stress-field mapping back into manufacturing workflows, optimizing fiber preform architectures and infiltration cycles to minimize performance debits.
• Works both independently and as part of a team of researchers and program managers to develop new materials and processes for Department of the Air Force (air and space platform) applications.
• Interacts with and develops collaborations with industrial, academic, and other government agency partners.
• Disseminates research findings through publications and conference presentations.

Must use MM/DD/YYYY date format for experience entries on resume. For resume writing tips, facts about the federal hiring process and additional resources, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include.

• United States Citizenship.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• A bachelor’s degree in a science or engineering discipline. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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.
• Must be APDP certified at the Practitioner level in Engineering & Technical Management (ETM) or obtain certification within 60 months.
• Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade DR-01/GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes interest and/or expertise in ceramic and CMC materials thermo mechanical behavior, structure-morphology characterization methods, finite element modeling, and performance assessment techniques.

• Possess an advanced professional science and engineering (S&E) degree at the PhD level, in a relevant technical field (Ceramic science and engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, or related fields), from an ABET accredited academic institution.
• Candidates may also be in-the-process of acquiring relevant PhD’s listed above at time of application, granted that graduation date is within 6 months of the job posting.
• Demonstrated ability to perform materials science research both independently and in collaboration with other researchers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Requisition Number 17005