This position is in the NASA's Pathways Intern Program which provides students with the opportunity to explore NASA careers and gain meaningful work experience. This position is for an engineering student trainee in the Thermal Energy Conversion Branch in the Power Division at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The Branch is responsible for developing efficient thermal energy conversion technologies, components, and systems that can provide power to challenging and important missions.
Summary
This position is in the NASA's Pathways Intern Program which provides students with the opportunity to explore NASA careers and gain meaningful work experience. This position is for an engineering student trainee in the Thermal Energy Conversion Branch in the Power Division at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The Branch is responsible for developing efficient thermal energy conversion technologies, components, and systems that can provide power to challenging and important missions.
Support the development of dynamic power conversion systems for applications such as Kilopower fission reactor heated power systems, radioisotope power systems (RPS), and associated support systems for thermal management and electrical control.
Assist in test planning, execution, and analysis of results for dynamic power convertors such as Stirling engines including test system design, performance testing, instrumentation, and support hardware.
Support design, modeling, and analysis of Stirling power systems that may include system dynamics modeling, engine performance analysis, and/or multi-physics FEA.
Research a variety of thermal energy conversion or space power system topics, gather data for senior engineers, produce technical reports and provide technical presentations of results.
Enrolled/accepted in an accredited educational institution.
Pursuing a bachelor's degree with at least 30 semester hours completed.
Maintain enrollment at least half time as defined by the institution.
Have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.9 on a 4.0 scale
You will be required to undergo a pre-employment background investigation.
You will be required to sign a Pathways Participant Agreement.
Available to work at least 640 hours prior to completion of degree.
This appointment will start no earlier than January 2020 and no later than March 2020.
You must have at least one calendar year remaining prior to graduation by the start date of your appointment.
Candidates who indicate an expected completion date less than one calendar year from their available start date will be found ineligible. The answers you provide in the NASA Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to make this determination.
You must meet eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Qualifications
The starting GS grade level you qualify for is based on education. You will be considered for the highest grade for which you qualify.
GS-4: Enrolled in a bachelor's degree program and have completed at least 30 semester hours or at least 45 quarter hours of undergraduate education.
GS-5: Enrolled in a bachelor's degree program and have completed at least 60 semester hours or at least 90 quarter hours of undergraduate education.
GS-6: Enrolled in a bachelor's degree program and have completed 90 or more semester hours or 135 or more quarter hours of undergraduate education.
You will only be considered for the highest grade for which you qualify.
Education
The following majors are preferred but not required: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer.
To be eligible for this position, you must be pursuing a degree in engineering, physical science or mathematics at an accredited educational institution. Degrees in engineering technology are not qualifying for this position. Engineering degrees must be from a college or university school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum. To find out if a degree meets this requirement, go to http://www.abet.org.
Additional information
Interns may be promoted to higher grades based on the amount of education completed and acceptable performance. However, promotions are not guaranteed.
You will be expected to comply with Center Pathway policies located at: https://nasa.gov/careers
Interns may work schedules not to exceed 1,040 hours per year (part-time or full-time on an intermittent basis). The supervisor and Intern will agree on a formally-arranged schedule of school and work rotations. A rotation is a defined period of work or school study, usually a semester, a summer, or a quarter in length.
Although this vacancy announcement is advertised for multiple grade levels, it is not intended to convey any implication nor expectation that positions will be filled at all grade levels.
This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional positions within 90 days of the closing date of the announcement.
You will serve a trial period for the duration of the Intern appointment.
Interns may be considered for conversion to a term or permanent appointment within 120 days of completing degree requirements provided they:
Successfully complete an academic course of study with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.9 (on a 4.0 scale);
Complete a minimum of 640 hours of work experience before completing degree requirements;
Meet the qualification requirements for the position to which they are converted; and
Maintain acceptable performance.
Eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that NASA will offer conversion. At NASA, term appointments last from one to six years. If an Intern is converted to a term appointment, they may later be converted to a permanent appointment without competing.
The Intern may be converted to an Electrical Engineer position with full performance to the GS-13 level.
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.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume and your answers to NASA-specific questions to ensure that you meet eligibility requirements and minimum qualifications. Your answers to the NASA-specific questions supplement your resume. Please be sure that your answers and your resume are accurate, as NASA is not authorized to alter them. If the information in your resume differs from your answers to the questions, we will use your answers to the questions to determine your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
Veterans' preference applies in the hiring process. In order to receive preference in hiring, you must clearly identify your claim for veterans' preference when you apply. Veteran's preference will only be granted based on what is supported by the documentation you provide. For more information about Veterans' Preference, please visit this link.
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.
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.
NASA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. In order to apply for this position, you only need to submit your resume and answer a short series of NASA-specific questions. No additional documentation is accepted at the time of application. Nothing further is required until requested by the human resources office. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume and your answers to the NASA-specific questions. For example, we will ask you to provide academic transcripts. If you are claiming veterans' preference, we will ask you to submit proof of veterans' preference (DD214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, SF-15 plus the proof required by that form). If you fail to provide the requested documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw the job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Before you begin the application process, please read this vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration. Your application must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin the application process, click on the 'Apply' link. In order to be considered, you must submit a resume completed on the USAJOBS site. When completing your USAJOBS resume, please remember that NASA limits resumes to 32,000 characters, including spaces. You will NOT be allowed to complete the application process if your resume is too long or if your resume was uploaded to USAJOBS from another source. Also, NASA does not accept documents attached through USAJOBS' document attachment feature.
Once you submit your resume, you will be transferred to a NASA website to complete a short series of questions. You must finish the entire process in order to have a complete application. Your answers will not be saved unless you finish the entire application process. If you successfully apply, you will receive a confirmation email from NASA. Do not rely on a USAJOBS email to confirm successful application. You may edit a previously-submitted application, if the announcement is still open.
If you are unable to apply electronically for this position, submit your resume to: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Resume Operations Center, Mail stop: HS50, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812. Do NOT submit your resume directly to the Center advertising this vacancy. Mailed resumes must be received by the close of business on the closing date of the announcement. Hard copy resume requirements are at: Hard Copy Resume Requirements.
NASA's Resume Operations Center
4200 Rideout Road, Mailstop HS50
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
US
Next steps
If you are found qualified, you may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends up on the location of the position and the judgment of the selecting official. If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer pending verification that you meet all eligbility and qualification requirements. An official, written firm job offer will only be issued once all requirements have been verified.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
NASA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. In order to apply for this position, you only need to submit your resume and answer a short series of NASA-specific questions. No additional documentation is accepted at the time of application. Nothing further is required until requested by the human resources office. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume and your answers to the NASA-specific questions. For example, we will ask you to provide academic transcripts. If you are claiming veterans' preference, we will ask you to submit proof of veterans' preference (DD214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, SF-15 plus the proof required by that form). If you fail to provide the requested documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw the job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Before you begin the application process, please read this vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration. Your application must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin the application process, click on the 'Apply' link. In order to be considered, you must submit a resume completed on the USAJOBS site. When completing your USAJOBS resume, please remember that NASA limits resumes to 32,000 characters, including spaces. You will NOT be allowed to complete the application process if your resume is too long or if your resume was uploaded to USAJOBS from another source. Also, NASA does not accept documents attached through USAJOBS' document attachment feature.
Once you submit your resume, you will be transferred to a NASA website to complete a short series of questions. You must finish the entire process in order to have a complete application. Your answers will not be saved unless you finish the entire application process. If you successfully apply, you will receive a confirmation email from NASA. Do not rely on a USAJOBS email to confirm successful application. You may edit a previously-submitted application, if the announcement is still open.
If you are unable to apply electronically for this position, submit your resume to: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Resume Operations Center, Mail stop: HS50, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812. Do NOT submit your resume directly to the Center advertising this vacancy. Mailed resumes must be received by the close of business on the closing date of the announcement. Hard copy resume requirements are at: Hard Copy Resume Requirements.
NASA's Resume Operations Center
4200 Rideout Road, Mailstop HS50
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
US
Next steps
If you are found qualified, you may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends up on the location of the position and the judgment of the selecting official. If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer pending verification that you meet all eligbility and qualification requirements. An official, written firm job offer will only be issued once all requirements have been verified.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
