Test Engineer, Level 3

• Analyzes system requirements and concept of operations documents, acquisition plans, and system descriptions to develop evaluation and test plans and procedures, prepare for and conduct the data collection and analysis, and report status and results.
• Supports the development of Government test and evaluation documentation e.g., Test & Evaluation (T&E) Strategy, Test & Evaluation Master Plan, Event Test Plans, Test Readiness Assessments, and T&E Reports.
• Works with other test organizations to support T&E program integration. Provides specialized T&E capabilities tailored to system functions, level, maturity, and performance area as assigned in the SOW.

• Assist with any or all of the Level 1 tasks as constrained by technical training and previous testing experience.
• Conduct research into and apply knowledge of Government test and evaluation concepts and related engineering, acquisition, and operations activities as needed to support the T&E activities.
• Plan and Execute Performance Analysis.
• Review planned acquisition approaches to support T&E schedule alignment with decision maker needs for T&E support.
• Analyze performance risk areas to focus T&E planning.
• Specify, validate, and adapt Modeling and Simulation for T&E use.
• Apply Statistical Analysis of variations in performance behavior to characterize confidence in performance estimates.
• Select, develop, & use analysis tools.
• Execute the evaluation plan on data collected by the Testing Tasks.
• Plan and Execute Performance Data Collection.
• Plan program and event level testing for collection of data required for analysis and to synch T&E events with supported decision points.
• Establish and employ Data & Configuration Management capabilities.
• Support Data Authentication group functions; and comply with program Discrepancy Reporting criteria and processes.
• Produce Evaluation Plans (metric framework, scenarios/threads, timelines, requirements/T&E cross-walk), Analysis Plans, Data Requirements, Risk Assessments, Evaluation Reports, Status reports; provide input to Government T&E products (e.g., Technology Readiness Assessments, Test & Evaluation Strategy, Test & Evaluation Master Plan, T&E Plans & Procedures and Test Readiness Reports).
• Design data sampling schemes to optimize the information/resource balance and to control testing uncertainties.
• Select, coordinate, and calibrate Instrumentation, collection and data management tools, targets, & facilities.
• Ensure test readiness including training of test event participants re conduct of the event; equipment readiness, and security, legal, and privacy compliance arrangements.
• Participate in T&E WIPT and/or Integrated Test Team for coordination of data collection plans.
• Execute Testing and Data Collection per plan.
• Produce associated Test Plans, Procedures, and Reports/Briefings, Data Management Plan.
• Assess operational and system performance requirements for testability and criticality to frame and prioritize T&E objectives and enable evaluation planning.
• Coordinate with program Systems Engineering (SE) and review T&E-related SE information to leverage functional analysis, system descriptions, parameter selection and dependencies, Modeling and Simulation, and initial performance risk assessments to inform evaluation planning.
• Assess operational environments and priorities for evaluation attention and scenario selection, and to coordinate user participation in T&E.
• Plan program and event level risk-tailored performance estimation and analysis of system and operational Effectiveness and Suitability metrics & conditions; levels of T&E include inspection, demonstration, paper analysis, survey, simulation, and physical test.
• Design surveys for evaluation of Subject Matter Expert (SME) input and user assessments of performance.
• Participate in the T&E Working-level Integrated Product Team (WIPT) and/or Integrated Test Team for coordination of evaluation plans.
• Define and provide technical direction and guidance for the Level 1 tasks to the Level 0 and Level 1 TEs assigned to the task.
• Recommend draft plans and reports from the Level 1 tasks for approval by the task leader.
• Work directly with the Government sponsor to coordinate task implementation.
• Maintain knowledge of current and evolving agency, national, and international standards applicable to the system development of interest.
• Provide overall leadership of the T&E task and serve as primary liaison to the government for supporting contract coordination and task execution.
• Communicate issues and solutions to the broader government and contract management structure as requested by Leadership.
• Ensure the appropriate level of independence of the team from the solution provider to support government management of objectivity risk.
• Manage T&E resources and tasks; ensure quality assurance of test processes and products.
• Coordinate and integrate Evaluation and Testing tasks and products.
• Participate in T&E WIPT and/or Integrated Test Team as needed to ensure proper coordination of T&E activities.
• Drive innovation and responsiveness to program changes and evolving T&E status to help manage program risk: develop alternative courses of action, work-arounds, and fall-back positions with a recommended course of action for each risk, and monitor and re-evaluate risks at appropriate milestones

Requirements

• Eight (8) years experience as a TE in programs and contracts of similar scope, type and complexity is required.
• Bachelor's degree in Math, Science, Engineering, Statistics, Engineering Management, or related discipline from an accredited college or university is required.
• Four (4) years of additional TE experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree