Manpower

What does the Manpower career field do?

Performs the following Manpower competencies: management engineering, data analytics, capability oversight, project management, advisory services, contingency force development, workforce development. Demonstrates knowledge, skills, abilities, and observations within the following sub-competencies: management engineering, information systems, data research, data interpretation, storytelling and visualization, capability oversight, project management, advisory services, garrison, expeditionary, and workforce development. Manages servicing manpower activity functions including: Air Force organization structure, organizational and manpower standards/determinants, manpower resources, military grades, manpower data systems, peacetime and wartime manpower requirements and utilization, and management advisory studies. Leads process reengineering, Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) initiatives, and management consulting services. Supports operational planning and execution. Related DoD Occupational Subgroup: 150000.

Duties and responsibilities

• Quantifies manpower requirements through the management engineering program. Develops and maintains standardized Air Force organizational structures and manpower determinants. Coordinates with staff agencies and assists management with study implementation. Applies organization and manpower determinants, analyzes impact, and revises manpower documents. Conducts reengineering studies to define defendable manpower requirements, building statistical equations to meet future programming needs.
• Leverages a combination of people, processes, data, and technology to collect, store, process, and distribute findings. Utilizes skills and knowledge to systematically gather data for a specific purpose or analysis. Analyzes and derives meaningful insights from data to inform decisions, solve problems, and address research inquiries. Interpreting and analyzing staffing data to identify trends, patterns, and insights that can inform workforce strategies. Uses predictive models to forecast future workforce needs based on various factors such as mission trends. Provides strategic recommendations to optimize workforce efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction. Develops and tracking key performance metrics to assess workforce efficiency and effectiveness. Assists in the development and implementation of workforce plans that align with the organization's goals and objectives. Prepares comprehensive reports that present workforce data and insights in a clear and accessible manner. Communicates insights and findings from data using clear visualizations with context, narrative, and interaction with stakeholders. Collaborates with various stakeholders to ensure that workforce strategies align with overall mission objectives.
• Identifies, develops, and maintains the capabilities critical to the organization’s success and aligns them with mission requirements. Develops and applies programming factors and functional estimating equations. Maintains manpower allocations with troop strength ceilings or floors and mandates. Designs, operates, and maintains manpower data systems at base, major command (MAJCOM), or Headquarters USAF. Develops and prepares manpower change requests. Prepares and maintains manpower reports and data extracts. Evaluate manpower change requests for policy compliance, resource impact, unit type code impact, and possible impact on other position attributes and coordinates the request with local functional managers, as applicable. Leverages multiple data sources to generate data supported recommendations Ensures overall compliance, accuracy, and currency of all manpower data in the Manpower Programming and Execution System.
• Applies knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to accomplish project objectives within an established timeframe to meet mission requirements. Identifies project goals and scope. Plans and documenting project tasks. Ensures deliverables are on-time. Manages project resources. Communicates project needs with stakeholders. Makes meaningful assumptions and eliminates potential risks. Documents projects process using various project management tools. Ensures top-quality results and project success.
• Performs advisory services that provides leaders with recommendations, conclusions, and findings to help them make decisions. Communicates actions, activities, and tertiary effects from the Manpower perspective. Demonstrates ability to leverage technology to implement efficient, robust, and cross-functional solutions. Provides process improvement methods that proactively identifies, analyzes and improves upon existing business processes within an organization, with the goal of improving process effectiveness and efficiency. Renews a domain, a product, or a service through innovation and applies new processes by introducing new techniques or establishes successful ideas to create new value. Improves performance through planning, designing, advising, and facilitating organizational and functional process improvement through integrated process teams, benchmarking, process mapping, work measurement, modern business practices, and metric development for manpower requirements, performance measurement, and organizational design. Plans and organizes manpower activities for conducting management consulting services, to include operations research, systems and procedures analysis, workload essentiality, work distribution and workflow, skill mix, work methods and simplification, layout analysis, benchmarking, and work measurement and analysis. Designs methods and tailors’ consultation to improve organizational performance. Facilitates in developing short and long-term goals and strategies relating to performance management. Designs systems with focus on effectiveness and efficiency. Applies knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to accomplish objectives within an established timeframe to meet mission requirements. Combines qualitative findings and other inputs along with data analytics to make comprehensive recommendations.
• Exercises and validates organizational capabilities to achieve mission success during contingency and emergency operations. Identifies, validates, and maintains capabilities critical to a Combatant Command’s mission success in support of national policies and objectives through unified action. Advises strategic and operational planning activities in determining expeditionary and garrison force requirements, organizational structure, command relationships, and resource allocation. Initiates and communicates force requests, assigned and allocated requirements actions and organizational changes. Establishes and maintains manpower readiness and force management to include maintaining and operating the DCAPES system. Performs manpower wartime support for operational, contingency and exercise planning and execution. Participates in mobility planning with the manpower and personnel readiness team. Participates in total force assessments to define in- place and deployment capabilities. Evaluates and approves unit type code changes. Conducts operational theater and overseas manpower requirements reviews.
• Implements strategies and programs to enhance the skills, knowledge, and abilities of members within the Manpower enterprise. Facilitates a skills-sensing network among cross-organizational stakeholders with the purpose of carrying out a dynamic skills strategy. Identifies and implements skill accelerators by extracting strategies from existing resources and expertise to build skills solutions at speed. Create channels to support two-way, transparent skills information sharing between Manpower and the organization.

Specialty qualifications

Knowledge. The following knowledge is mandatory for award of AFSC indicated:

• 3F3X1. Distinct understanding of Air Force Manpower, Organization, and Resource policies, methods, and procedures for advisory services; data analysis and judgement; relationship management; problem solving and influencing; storytelling and visualizations; wartime management; force management; project management; organizational development; facilitation and benchmarking; productivity enhancement; survey techniques, process improvement, human capital management, performance measures development, and costing analysis; principles of industrial engineering techniques ; procedures, manpower allocation processes; automated data processing system operations and utilization; and organization analysis, structures, and missions
• 3F3X1M. Complex data sets analysis; data visualization tools; costing analysis; industrial engineering, management engineering, manpower analytics; analytical reports and visualizations; data science concepts; exploratory analysis; organization analysis, structures, missions.

Education. For entry into this specialty, the following Air Force Digital University courses must be completed: Problem Solving: The Complete Guide (Udemy); Think Smart: Unlocking Your Critical Thinking Potential (Udemy); Data Analytics for Project Management (Udemy); Zero to Hero! Intro To Algebra - Variables, Fractions (Udemy) & more. Project Management and strong analytical foundation, sound judgment, and ability to solve problems independently skillsets are desirable.

Training. The following training is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated.

• For award of AFSC 3F331, completion of the basic Manpower Apprentice Course is mandatory.
• For award of the AFSC 3F3X1M, must possess a minimum 3F351 AFSC for entry into 3F3X1M and completion of the management engineering/data analytics course.
• For award of AFSC 3F351, complete in order the 3F351 Career Development Course (CDC), complete all 5-level Air Force Qualification Training Packages (AFQTP) outlined in Attachment 3 of the Career Field Education and Training Plan (CFETP), complete all “Basic” level courses within Digital University learning path 3F3X1 – Competency Based Learning Path.
• For award of AFSC 3F371, complete in order all 7-level AFQTPs outlined in Attachment 3 of the CFETP, complete all “Intermediate” level courses within Digital University learning path 3F3X1 – Competency Based Learning Path, complete OpusWorks Foundational and Green Belt course work with a minimum of 70% in each module, complete DCAPES training, and complete Advanced 7-Level Course (if available).

Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:

• 3F351. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 3F331. Also, experience performing functions such as evaluating operational methods and procedures; workload measurement; process improvement studies; analyzing and reengineering process improvement and system performance; costing analysis; assisting in developing organizational and process standard; determining manpower requirements; accomplishing contingency force management; or analyzing organizational structures.
• 3F351M. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 3F351. Experience in analyzing, interpreting, and visualizing data to support mission-critical decision-making processes. Proficiency in statistical software, data science/visualization tools and techniques. Proficiency in industrial engineering and management engineering techniques for analysis of complex data sets.
• 3F371/M. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 3F351/M. Also, experience performing or supervising functions such as evaluating operational methods and procedures; workload measurement; facilitating and consulting organizational development and process improvement studies; analyzing and reengineering process improvement and system performance; costing analysis; developing organizational and process standards; determining manpower requirements; accomplishing contingency force management; or analyzing organizational structures.
• 3F391. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 3F371/M. Also, experience managing functions such as management engineering, productivity, and organizational development studies; development and implementation of performance measures; determining manpower requirements; or organizing and implementing management structures during contingencies.

Other. The following are mandatory as indicated:

• For entry into AFSC 3F3X1:
• Prior qualification in any AFSC at the 5-skill level or higher (3-skill level if no 5-skill level exists).
• Certification by the Installation Manpower Office Chief that the individual has been interviewed and is acceptable for entry into the AFSC. The Installation Manpower Office Chief will complete their portion of the mandatory Manpower Retraining Certification Memo and coordinate with the MAJCOM Manpower Senior Enlisted Leader. The Air Force Career Field Manager must coordinate/approve each Retraining Memo.
• Never received nonjudicial punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) which resulted in either reduction or suspended reduction in grade, or correctional custody.
• No record of disciplinary action for financial irresponsibility.
• Specialty requires routine access to Tier 3 (T3) information, systems, or similar classified environments. For award and retention of AFSCs 3F3X1/M, completion of a current T3 Investigation required IAW DoDM 5200.02, AFMAN 16-1405, Air Force Personnel Security Program, is mandatory
• See attachment 4 for additional entry requirements.
• For entry into AFSC 3F3X1M, the following are mandatory:
• Must possess a minimum PAFSC 3F351.
• Be nominated and approved for entry into the AFSC. The nominations will be coordinated with MAJCOM/AFMAA Senior Enlisted Leaders per the annual allocations allowed. The Air Force Career Field Manager and 3F3 Developmental Team will coordinate/approve each 3F3X1M nomination.
• Must possess coursework in Data Science, Statistic, Computer Science, or a related field.
• A minimum of 1 year of experience in data analysis and management engineering, preferably within a military or defenserelated environment.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., R, Python, SA, or similar) and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
• Demonstrated ability to analyze large, complex data sets and identify patterns, trends, and actionable insights.
• Knowledge of Air Force operations, structure, and strategic objectives is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to a diverse audience.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and as a part of a team.
• Attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work.
• For award and retention of AFSCs these AFSCs:
• Never been convicted by a court-martial or convicted by a civilian court of Category 1, 2, or 3 offenses, nor exceeded the accepted number of Category 4 offenses. Category 3 and 4 minor traffic violations and similar infractions are not disqualifying. NOTE: Categories of offenses are described and listed in AFI 36-2002, Regular Air Force and Special Category Accessions, Uniform Guide List of Typical Offenses.
• Must maintain local network access IAW AFI 17-130, Cybersecurity Program Management and AFMAN 17-1301, Computer Security.

Civilian career paths

Comparable civilian careers for this field pay roughly $35,330–$121,220 per year (median salaries; varies by role and location):

Administrative Services Managers: $98,890 Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists: $67,190 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers: $58,450 Human Resources Assistants: $43,250 Human Resources Managers: $121,220 Human Resources Specialists: $63,490 Industrial-Organizational Psychologists: $96,270 Management Analysts: $87,660 Office Clerks, General: $35,330 Training and Development Specialists: $62,700