Flight Test and Evaluation Manager, Senior F-16 WAM (Top-Secret) - 189

Overview

At Credence, we support our clients’ mission-critical needs, powered by technology. We provide cutting-edge solutions, including AI/ML, enterprise modernization, and advanced intelligence capabilities, to the largest defense and health federal organizations. Through partnership and trust, we increase mission success for warfighters and secure our nation for a better future. 

We are privately held, are repeatedly recognized as a top place to work, and have been on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list for the last 12 years. We practice servant leadership and believe that by focusing on the success of our clients, team members, and partners, we all achieve greater success. 

Credence has an immediate opening for a Flight Test and Evaluation Manager who will be primarily responsible for supporting the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center WAM (AFLCMC/WAM) directorate, F-16 division at Wright Patterson AFB, OH. 

F-16 “Viper” AFLCMC/WAM is headquartered at Hill Air Force Base with units located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Tyndall Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The F-16 “Viper” is a multi-role fighter jet delivering air-to-air, air-to-ground, and surveillance capabilities for the United States Air Force (USAF) and Coalition Partners.

The F-16 program has the largest Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program in U.S. history producing over 4,500 jets for 24 countries. Each F-16 FMS case is uniquely tailored to country requirements / development / funding. Presently, FMS production orders exist through 2030. Additionally, the F-16 program includes the Multi-National Fighter Program (MNFP). MNFP is not a typical FMS program, but a unique, cooperative USAF and development program implemented through the FMS process under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). MNFP began in 1975 with the countries of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway; Portugal joined in 200.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the duties listed below:

• Assist in the designing, planning, execution, analysis and reporting phases of test and evaluation to assess the performance of F-16 systems, subsystems and equipment as they progress through the various acquisition phases and milestones.

• Assist to prepare, maintain, update and review the full range of test and test-related documentation for adequacy, specification/performance requirement compliance, conformity with mandatory guidance and provide recommendations as necessary for improvement.
• Assist to develop the plan to ensure execution and support the flight test program for the F-16 FMS programs including both the production and modification efforts, including close coordination with technical (engineering), logistics, flight test community, and Lead Development Test Organization (LDTO) test support staff.
• Support management of all phases of the flight test program and shall assess the performance of aeronautical systems, subsystems and equipment for a major acquisition and modification program. The Contractor shall assist to analyze technical and contractual requirements and to formulate test strategies and methodologies to ensure the optimum verification of requirements.
• Support flight test meetings such as Test Integrated Product Team (TIPT) meetings.
• Assist to develop briefing charts, manage meeting logistics of briefing presentations, set up VTC/TEAMS meetings, prepare minutes, manage action items, schedule conference rooms, issue attendee invitations, and provide meeting handouts.
• Support the F-16 Integrated Test Team (ITT) meetings and provide inputs to the F-16 overall test documentation including the Capstone Test and Evaluation Master Plans (TEMP).
• Assist to develop master test plans, detailed test schedules, and develop specific measures of performance and effectiveness.
• Assist to forecast requirements for, and acquire munitions, air-to-air vehicles, range targets and emitters, alternate mission equipment, and any specialized ground equipment necessary for handling, maintaining, or testing F-16 aircraft and equipment.
• Assist review and shall make approval recommendations to the Government.
• Assist to locate and coordinate delivery of required flight test Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) with various GFE managers to include subsystems, test instrumentation, and weapons so they are available to support tests. (Prime Contractor is responsible for maintenance of test aircraft).
• Assist in obtaining aircraft spare assets as appropriate to support the scope and level of test.
• Assist to coordinate actions of other Contractors, DoW representatives, and Developmental Test (DT) personnel.
• Assist to develop and coordinate test reporting requirements and shall support periodic reviews and disposition test agency watch items.
• Assist to review watch items/Deficiency Reports (DRs) and coordinate required resolution.
• Assist to review flight test video and other data to assess the validity and impact of any significant anomalies, and shall recommend whether to suspend flight testing pending resolution. The Contractor shall review Government test completion letters, test reports, and Contractor test reports for adequacy, specification/performance requirement compliance, conformity with mandatory guidance and shall provide recommendations for process improvement.
• Assist to prepare, monitor, review, analyze and coordinate FMS documentation in compliance with established USG and FMS policy and procedures, utilizing exceptional communication skills, verbal and written, essential for effective interaction with both technical and non-technical personnel in the performance of assigned duties.
• Assist in collecting required documentation from vendors such as safety of flight certificates, software release memos, weapon range safety footprints, electronic warfare emitter types, frequency management data, technical order (TO) source data, and coordinate any required approvals with the appropriate agency(s). The Contractor shall support the appropriate airworthiness evaluations and documentation to support flight test efforts.
• Assist to develop preliminary estimates of flight test program cost and shall track obligation dates for funding and expenditure rates.
• Assist to develop program introduction documents and coordinate test agencies’ statements of capability for approval. 
• Recommend data and instrumentation requirements for each stakeholder and track the development of the data analysis plan as well as test aircraft instrumentation/modification documents.
• Assist in using current Government (industry standard) software for preparation of letters, documents, reports, and databases.
• Assist to prepare flight test release documentation, ensuring that required airworthiness and SEEK EAGLE flight clearance requirements have been met.
• Assist to coordinate test requirements between the prime Contractor, SPO IPT/SAPM, SPO Test Manager, Air Force Test Center (AFTC) or other LDTO as appropriate, and other test agencies. 
• Assist to ensure compliance with all applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifications and procedures necessary prior to start of flight test.
• Assist to perform all flight test related duties related to both new production and major modification efforts. 
• Function as a liaison with widely dispersed team members in preparing technical materials, briefings slides, handouts, minutes, letters, reports and agendas.
• Participate in flight test missions (prime Contractor testbeds) to review data real-time.
• Assist to manage flight test programs requiring the integration of the electronic warfare systems (e.g. Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS) and/or Advanced Countermeasures Electronic System (ACES)) and a broad variety of weapons for both the production and modified aircraft to include extensive coordination with various U.S. Government agencies, Air Force, prime weapon system Contractors, and various other vendors and subsystem Contractors.
• Assist to track cost and schedule of the test program, and provide status reports on program expenditures to the PM.
• Support program reviews and shall brief test plans, issues, and program status.
• Assist to prepare and present briefings at meetings with the customer, management, and higher headquarters.
• Assist with the release of reports to the customer through the foreign disclosure office and ensure reports are appropriately sanitized utilizing International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) and other FMS policies and guidelines.
• Travel CONUS/OCONUS in order to support engineering technical meetings, test planning meetings, PMRs, Program Management Action Team (PMATs), Functional/Physical Configuration Audits (PCAs), and periodic observation of test mission execution at Government facilities or vendor labs.
• May be required to participate in Contractor flight test missions.
• Assist to review the DDL, security classification guidance, and other technical documentation for the program and assist to coordinate test-related documentation release issues with the foreign disclosure office.

Requirements

• Must have at least an active top-secret clearance.
• Master’s or Doctoral Degree in a related field and a minimum of 10 ten years of experience in the respective technical / professional discipline being performed, at least five of which must be in the DoW or
• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and a minimum of 12 years of experience in the respective technical/professional discipline being performed, five of which must be in the DoW or
• Fifteen years of directly related experience with proper certifications, eight of which must be in the DoW
• Minimum of three years of experience planning or conducting military flight test programs
• Expertise in planning, directing, and integrating all aspects of the test and evaluation functions pertaining to the development, acquisition, and deployment of aeronautical weapons systems

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development