Summary

NASA may fill positions at any of the grade levels or locations listed in this announcement.

Duties

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• Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
• Leads technical efforts within and across organizational boundaries and provides senior-level engineering guidance on complex technical matters.
• Conducts and oversees advanced engineering analysis, design, testing, and evaluation for complex and mission-critical systems.
• Applies senior-level engineering judgment to identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical problems and develops and recommends effective solutions.
• Advises program managers, project leads, and senior management on complex technical, engineering, and programmatic matters.
• Represents the organization in technical forums, boards, reviews, and working groups at the organizational, program, and, as appropriate, agency levels.
• Develops and recommends engineering standards, technical guidance, requirements, and processes within assigned programs or functional areas.
• Prepares technical reports, assessments, briefings, and recommendations to support management and program decision-making.
• Provides technical mentoring and guidance to engineers and other technical personnel across varying levels of experience.
• For supervisory positions, you will perform a full range of supervisory duties which includes assigning and evaluating work; recommending personnel actions; taking disciplinary actions; and identifying training needs and developing employees.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• This position may require a one-year probationary/trial period. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. **See Additional Information section**
• You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
• Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
• A one-year supervisory probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

In addition to the Basic Education Requirement (in the Education section below), to qualify for this position you must meet the requirements below. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

NASA utilizes OPM-approved qualification and rating requirements specific for Aerospace Technology (AST) positions which recognizes NASA's unique aerospace work. The specific qualifications and minimum education requirements are further described below and within the education section of the job announcement.

To qualify for GS-09, you must have:

a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level:

• Performing engineering analysis, design, test, or evaluation on assigned systems or components;
• Applying engineering principles to solve technical problems under supervision; and
• Preparing technical documentation in support of engineering projects or program requirements.

OR

b) Completed all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field

OR

c) Completed 2 full academic years of graduate education in an appropriate field

OR

d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

To qualify for GS-11, you must have:

a) You must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level:

• Conducting engineering analysis, design, test, or evaluation;
• Applying professional engineering judgment with limited supervision; and
• Producing technical reports and recommendations.

OR

b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field

OR

c) Completed 3 full academic years of graduate education in an appropriate field

OR

d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

To qualify for GS-12, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level:

• Conducting complex engineering work;
• Serving as technical authority on moderately complex systems; and
• Integrating multi-discipline technical requirements.

To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level:

• Leading engineering programs or technical projects;
• Serving as recognized technical authority on complex systems; and
• Developing engineering solutions.

To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level:

• Providing senior engineering technical leadership;
• Directing multi-disciplinary programs;
• Serving as expert in the applicable discipline; and
• Advising senior officials on complex technical and programmatic matters.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of artificial intelligent (AI) or AI-assisted tools during the application process.

Promotion Potential: The full performance level (FPL) will vary based on the position in which the selectee is placed and does not default to the highest grade advertised.

Education

This position requires education or exceptional experience

Basic Education Requirement: You must have successfully completed a bachelor's degree with a major in one of the following:

a) Engineering from a college or university that has ABET accredited engineering programs

b) Physical Science, Mathematics, Life Science or other field of Science

c) Computer Science that included 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of course work in any combination of mathematics, statistics and computer science with at least half of those hours in mathematics and statistics courses that included differential and integral calculus; and that provided an in-depth knowledge of theoretical and practical applications of computer science, including digital computer system architecture and system software organization, the representation and transformation of information structures, and the theoretical models for such representations and transformations.

If you did not complete a qualifying bachelor's degree, you may be eligible if you have obtained a graduate degree in an AST qualifying field, as listed above.

Applicants who do not fully meet the basic education requirement may still be considered if they possess exceptional relevant experience, or a combination of education and experience, that clearly demonstrates significant full performance-level achievement directly related to the duties of this position.

Engineering degrees earned within the United States: Engineering degrees earned within the United States must be from a college or university that has at least one ABET accredited engineering program. To find out if a school has at least one ABET accredited program, please visit http://www.abet.org.

Engineering degrees earned outside the United States: Engineering degrees earned outside the United States must be recognized by a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), often known as accords. These are non-governmental agreements among organizations that accredit academic degree programs. MRAs recognize the substantial equivalence of mature accreditation systems and programs accredited by signatory organizations within their jurisdictions. For a listing of Signatories, please visit, https://www.abet.org/global-presence/mutual-recognition-agreements/is-your-program-recognized/.

Science and other related degreesearned within the United States: Science and other related degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Science and other related degrees earned outside the United States: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement.

Other duty locations not specifically listed on this announcement may be considered at management's discretion.

For purposes of ICTAP selection priority, well-qualified is defined as possessing knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. If you have special priority selection rights under ICTAP, you must:

• Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position.
• Meet or exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position for the position.
• Submit proof that you meet the requirements for ICTAP as indicated in "Required Documents"

For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap

Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal governmentwithin the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/.

Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit.

Probationary Period

You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;

• the needs and interests of the agency;

• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and

• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Supervisory probationary periods are not subject to the above process, although, if a standard probationary period is required. You are subject to the conditions of both a standard probationary period and the supervisory probationary period.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.