HP104 Lead Space Weather AnalystWe are seeking a Lead Space Weather Analyst to join the Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office (M2M SWAO) team. The M2M SWAO carries out human-in-the-loop real-time analysis of space weather for NASA missions and conducts activities to support research to operation to research to enhance space weather knowledge and predictive capabilities for the benefit of the nation.
This is a full-time on-site position at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD. The selected individual will work as part of a team providing coverage seven days per week, during both daytime and evening hours, including weekends and holidays. Overnight shifts will sometimes be required to meet continuous coverage requirements of 24 hours per day during periods of critical mission activities and/or in support of time sensitive work related to the office's continuity of operations. Remote work may be possible for an exceptionally qualified candidate but would require advanced approval from the M2M SWAO Director and scheduled in-person visits to GSFC as requested by the Director, at the individual's personal expense.
The primary focus of this position is to monitor the Sun's activity in real time and document observations to assess how these activities may impact NASA's human exploration and robotic missions. Basic duties of the role include collecting, analyzing, and interpreting space weather observations from NASA and NOAA missions, using novel tools such as cutting-edge MHD simulations to characterize the space environment, and assessing the impact of large-scale structures and solar energetic particle events. Data analysis includes synthesizing observations of heterogeneous data (e.g., solar imagery, particle fluxes, geomagnetic indices ) to identify trends and associations between space weather phenomena. The analyst will also routinely troubleshoot models, maintain daily logs, and support briefings or communication requests for mission support personnel, NASA management, and external partners.
As the lead, the selected individual will help to manage the analyst shift schedule to ensure the office's real-time coverage requirements are satisfied (which includes 24/7 coverage during mission critical periods). The lead will also review real-time analysis activities to ensure accuracy and timeliness, update operational procedures based on evolving requirements, and support training initiatives for analyst certification or recertification.
Required Experience:- US Citizenship or Permanent Residency (LPR) required, with US residency for the past 3 consecutive years.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Tier 1 Investigation through NASA.
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Physics, Engineering, Meteorology, Environmental Science, or a related field and five years relevant work experience (or equivalent degree/diploma and work experience).
- At least one year of experience using space weather analysis tools and models (e.g., WSA-ENLIL+Cone).
- Experience analyzing real-time or low-latency data streams in an operational setting.
- Experience managing teams of at least five people, including managing or assisting with scheduling assignments.
- Experience prototyping models, including evaluating new space weather capabilities (e.g., data, models, tools) to assess their utility for space weather analysis and prediction in an operational environment.
- Experience ingesting new procedures in real time analysis.
- Experienced in the development / optimization of tailored space weather procedures adapted to critical spaceflight operational needs.
Desired Experience:- Experience with space weather analysis tools such as CME Analysis Tool (CAT) and/or StereoCat.
- Experience with space weather models for the prediction of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and solar energetic particles (e.g., WSA-ENLIL+Cone, UMASEP, MagPy).
- Experience successfully balancing assigned shift work and office/project responsibilities.
- Strong organizational skills, meticulous, and methodical.
