Essential responsibilities:

Aerostat operators/user-level maintainers will participate in the overall, hands-on operation of the aerostat system including launch, in-flight, recovery, and moored activities.

Candidates will perform all functions to operate the Persistent Ground Surveillance System (PGSS) and Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS), an aerostat mounted Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, its Mobile Mooring Platform (MMP), sensor payloads, communications and navigation systems, as well as associated support equipment including boom lift, forklift, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and electrical power generators.

Additional responsibilities include performing analyses of system operations. Candidates must have:

• Knowledge of and experience in the operations of hardware systems and components.
• Experience in fault detection, isolation, and correction of hardware systems and individual components.
• Ability to perform routine system maintenance and analysis functions including hardware configurations; adding, removing, and replacing hardware components; use of hardware and software diagnostic testing tools; reading of electronic circuit schematics; and repairing printed circuit boards.

Candidates will perform user-level maintenance functions including performing hands-on Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS), troubleshooting, removing and replacing Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), and removing and replacing payloads.

Candidates must possess a diverse range of skills with the ability to quickly adapt to new situations. Tasks will be performed under the direction of higher classified technicians and/or site personnel.

Minimum requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Two-year associate’s degree in a technical field from an accredited college can substitute for work experience.
• Must have an active Secret US Government clearance. US citizenship is required to obtain a Secret clearance.
• At least one year previous aerostat experience.
• Certified and school trained on 34M and 74K.
• Must have a valid U.S. passport with a minimum of one year remaining.
• Must have a valid US driver’s license.
• Knowledge of and experience in the operations of hardware systems and components.
• Experience in fault detection, isolation, and correction of hardware systems and individual components.
• Ability to perform routine system maintenance and analysis functions including hardware configurations; adding, removing, and replacing hardware components; use of hardware and software diagnostic testing tools; reading of electronic circuit schematics; and repairing printed circuit boards.

Physical requirements:

• Requires the ability to regularly lift up to 50 lbs.
• Requires the ability to regularly climb extension ladders, roof ladders, stepladders, and stairs at least 10 times during shift.
• Requires the flexibility to bend/stoop and squat repetitively during shift.
• Requires the ability to regularly kneel repetitively during shift.
• Requires the ability to move in a 90-degree fashion on a repetitive basis during shift.
• Requires the ability to stretch/reach on a repetitive basis during shift.
• Requires the ability to walk extensively throughout the plant during shift.
• Requires the ability to interact with all clients in a professional and friendly manner despite periods of stress.

Medical requirements:

• Successfully complete and pass the medical and dental examinations as required for deployment to Iraq.
• Must maintain physical and dental requirements for the duration of the deployment.

Working and living conditions:

This position may be located in a war zone, in an environment with harsh and dangerous working and living conditions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may regularly be exposed to an extreme and austere desert-like environment. Temperatures can reach 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit (50-55 degrees Celsius) during the summer months.

Employees must be willing and able to perform regular job requirements in this austere, extreme environment, as well as willing and able to deploy to CENTCOM, EUCOM, and AFRICOM for extended periods.

Work schedules are a minimum of six days per week and ten hours per day, while some jobs have higher daily and weekly minimums.