Tactical Data Link Analyst ($5,000 Sign on Bonus Available)

Tactical Data Link Analyst

LOCATION: Langley, AFB, VA

JOB STATUS: Full-time

CLEARANCE: US SECRET and NATO Secret

TRAVEL: As required

Astrion has an exciting opportunity for a Tactical Data Link Analysis in support of the Air Force Division.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
• CERTIFICATIONS: N/A
• EXPERIENCE LEVEL: At least five (5) years' experience working with Tactical Data Link (TDL) Military Standards.
• OTHER: Qualified JICO/Air Battle Manager (AFSC 13B), Enlisted Weapons Director (AFSC 1C5) - or - Experience as a TDL System software developer implementing TDL Military Standards on systems

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• A self-starter that possesses the ability to read through highly detailed and complex technical documents to extract relevant information to develop technical changes to the Tactical Data Link (TDL) Military Standards.
• Be able to take initiative to self-learn. Developing the knowledge to identify changes to the various TDL standards can take several years of experience, however having a curious mind and the ability to self-learn is invaluable to the position.
• Have a working knowledge of Universal Command and Control Interface (UCI), which is a new data format that is in development and will be exchanged between TDL enabled systems.
• Have experience developing software code for Tactical Data Link host systems where the requirements originated from the TDL MIL-STDs (US MIL STDs 3011, 6016, 6022, 6020).
• Have extensive experience in XML and applying XML to software development in support of TDL host system development.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Be part of the USAF team that is recognized as the DOD lead in TDL Standards configuration management under the DOD's Joint Interoperable Tactical Command and Control Systems (JINTACCS). JINTACCS started in 1977 and is a systems engineering approach to managing interoperability of TDL enabled systems across the DOD. JINTACCS does this by ensuring rigid configuration management of the underlying TDL Standards used to exchange tactical data in Joint and Coalition networks. The USAF work under JINTACCS consists of:

• Research, analyze and develop changes to the US TDL Standards to add new data exchanges, correct ambiguous requirements or remove obsolete information.
• Apply information gained from operational information exchange requirement to potential changes to the TDL MIL-STDs
• Support the team in analyzing concepts and technical disconnects with Air Force, Joint, or Coalition standards, implementation of those standards, and provide solutions or recommendations in appropriate format as required.
• Participate as part of the USAF team reviewing operational concepts and architectures that use existing and emerging capabilities to achieve USAF platform/system information exchange requirements, interoperability, and operational employment objectives.
• Coordinate with USAF requirements and program offices to provide technical TDL expertise to facilitate TDL integration into USAF platforms and systems.
• Advise USAF system program office software developers, and test personnel on TDL transactional formatting, including stimuluses, database fields, processing constraints, data purge processing, operator alerts, transmit rules and receive rules, as well as bit level formatting, and functional implementations as described in the appropriate MIL STD.
• Provide technical support at Technical Interchange Meetings and Design Reviews concerning TDL implementations as necessary.
• As knowledge increases attend Joint, Bilateral and Allied TDL meetings, working groups, and subgroups, as directed by the Government, to represent USAF TDL objectives. Initially, attendance will accompany experienced TDL analyst SMEs to increase understanding of the purpose and goals of the meetings.
• Review technical change proposals and evaluations from other services and allied nations to determine impact to USAF platforms/systems, and provide written evaluations, while considering USAF equities against Joint/Allied interoperability objectives.
• Work with the TDL Standards team in reviewing interoperability test trouble reports against TDL Standards requirements to assist USAF TDL Test Team in determining criticality level of test findings.