Opportunities in Air Force Acquisition

Almost 35,000 Air Force professionals, both civilian and military, work in a variety of career fields leading and supporting the acquisition of cutting edge weapon systems and sustaining established capabilities. Working in Air Force Acquisition, you can find opportunities to use your leadership, business and technical skills in one of more of the following areas :

Move the mouse over the below text for more information regarding each acquisition career field:

• Contracting Individuals in this career field develop, manage, supervise, or perform procedures involving the procurement of supplies and services; construction, research, and development; acquisition planning; cost and price analysis; solicitation and selection of sources; preparation, negotiation, and award of contracts; all phases of contract administration; and termination or closeout of contracts. Employees are required to have knowledge of the legislation, policies, regulations, and methods used in contracting, as well as knowledge of business and industry practices, sources of supply, cost factors, cost and price analysis techniques, and general requirements characteristics.
• Cost Estimating Coming soon
• Engineering These individuals, who directly support acquisition programs, projects, or activities, may include managers or technical specialists in engineering, chemistry, physics, operations research, mathematics, and computer science fields. These positions require the incumbent to plan, organize, monitor, oversee, and/or perform engineering activities that relate to the design, development, fabrication, installation, modification, or analysis of systems or system components. Duties may require identification, establishment, organization, or implementation of acquisition engineering objectives and policies or establishment of specifications.
• Financial Management Coming soon
• Facilities Engineering This field encompasses a variety of professional individuals with diverse skills focused on the design, construction, and life cycle maintenance of military installations, facilities, civil works projects, airfields, roadways, and ocean facilities. It involves all facets of life cycle management from planning through disposal, including design, construction, environmental protection, base operations and support, housing, real estate, and real property maintenance. Additional duties include advising or assisting Commanders and acting as, or advising, Program Managers and other officials as necessary in executing all aspects of their responsibilities for facility management and the mitigation/elimination of environmental impact in direct support of the defense acquisition process.
• Industrial/Contract Property Mngt These individuals perform or supervise the process of managing Government property in the possession of contractors, or develop policies and procedures for managing Government property in the possession of contractors. It may involve the acquisition, control, management, use, and disposition of Government-owned property used by contractors or for storage to support future contractual requirements. Responsibilities include providing guidance, counsel, and direction to government and contractor managers and technicians relating to regulatory and contractual requirements for managing government property.
• Information Technology This career field includes computer scientists, information technology management specialists, computer engineers, telecommunications managers, etc., who directly support the acquisition of information technology. This may include hardware, software, or firmware products used to create, record, produce, store, retrieve, process, transmit, disseminate, present, or display data or information. The employee identifies requirements; writes and/or reviews specifications; identifies costs; obtains resources (manpower, funding, and training); and tests, evaluates, plans, obtains, and manages life-cycle development and support (operations, maintenance, and replacement).
• Life Cycle Logistics The Life Cycle Logistics career field includes professionals responsible for planning, development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive, affordable, and effective systems support strategy. Life cycle logisticians have principal roles during the acquisition and operational sustainment phases of the weapon or materiel systems life cycle to: (1) ensure product support strategies meet the program goals for operational effectiveness, optimize readiness, and facilitate iterative technology enhancements during the systems life cycle; (2) ensure supportability requirements are addressed consistently with cost, schedule, and performance; (3) perform an integral role in systems engineering to ensure supportability considerations are implemented during systems design; and (4) plan and develop performance-based logistics initiatives as the preferred approach to product support.
• Production, QA & Manufacturing The quality assurance specialist manages quality assurance activities to establish essential quality standards and controls. This person also develops and executes plans that focus on quality of design and conformance and fitness for use; integrates quality plans into the system engineering process; and develops policies, procedures, test provisions, and quality requirements in specifications, standards, and solicitations. Using design reviews, functional and configuration audits, production readiness reviews, and milestone reviews, the specialist evaluates quality assurance during acquisition.
• Program Management Program management professionals serve in a wide range of positions, from program integrators and analysts to program managers and PEOs, their deputies, and in a number of support and management positions throughout the Workforce. The fundamental responsibilities of the Program Manager are to balance the many factors that influence cost, schedule, and performance; to interpret and tailor the DoD 5000 series regulations; and to ensure that high quality, affordable, supportable, and effective defense systems are delivered to the warfighter as quickly as possible.
• Purchasing Individuals in the Purchasing career field are typically purchasing agents or supervisory purchasing agents. This function requires the individuals to purchase, rent, or lease supplies, services, and equipment through either simplified acquisition procedures or placement of orders against pre-established contractual instruments. The primary objective of their work is the rapid delivery of goods and services in direct support of operational requirements. It requires knowledge of applicable laws, policies, and regulations and of commercial supply sources and common business practices for roles, prices, discounts, deliveries, stocks, and shipments.
• Scientific and Technology Mgmt Scientific and Technology Management(S&T) managers are typically scientists and engineers involved in the Concept and Technology Development Phase and/or the System Development and Demonstration Phase of the Defense Acquisition Process. Primary duties include developing overall program goals for S&T funds; acquiring the services of scientists, engineers, and technical support personnel — experts in their fields — to perform science and technology research for DoD; providing funds to and oversight of S&T.
• Small Business Individuals in this career path develop, manage, supervise, and perform procedures advocating for use of small businesses to ensure high quality, affordable, sustainable and effective defense systems are delivered to the warfighter as quickly as possible. Employees are required to have knowledge of the policies, regulations, and methods used in program management, contracting, life cycle logistics, and knowledge of business and industry practices. They maximize small business opportunities through market research and acquisition strategies. This promotes efficiencies and innovation, fostering competition, and expanding the defense industrial base. Employees have direct relationships with acquisition program managers, requirements owners and contracting officers as well as direct outreach to the small business community.
• Test and Evaluation Individuals who work in this field are usually engineers, scientists, operations researchers, computer scientists, and other degree-holding technical personnel who perform test and evaluation tasks in support of acquisition. The field includes managers and technical specialists in engineering, physics, operations research, mathematics, and computer science fields. They are responsible for planning, monitoring, conducting, and evaluating tests of prototype, new, or modified weapon systems equipment or materiel. Individuals also analyze, assess, and evaluate test data and results; prepare assessments of the data; and write reports of the findings.