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Chief Scientist Human Research Program

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Serves as the Human Research Program (HRP) Chief Scientist providing science leadership and expertise at the highest level within HRP, including providing scientific guidance and oversight for a broad biomedical research and technology development program directed toward the understanding of the effects of exploration spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit on human health and performance.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
05/14/2021 to 06/04/2021
Salary
$135,522 to - $189,947 per year
Pay scale & grade
SL 00
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Houston, TX
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
JSC-21-SL-11103727
Control number
601512100

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Duties

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**Amended closing date to 6/4/21**

The Chief Scientist Human Research Program will:

-Serve as a key member of the HRP senior management team, and specializes in guiding science policies and recommending innovative research and technology investment strategies to achieve program objectives.

- Responsible for maintaining the scientific integrity of the Program, ensuring appropriate balance among disciplines, scientific community, review panels, and oversight groups, and providing scientific guidance/input to the Program Director concerning budgetary requirements and funding priorities.

- Serve as the primary Program advocate for science, representing program research within and external to NASA, interfacing with Agency, Program and Center Chief Scientists, external domestic and international scientists and partners to develop and ensure effective coordination and execution of joint research activities.

- Guide development of the highly visible Program research portfolio, ensuring overall balance across elements, adequacy of planned research, appropriate utilization of ground and space-based platforms, spaceflight responses and risks, and appropriate research prioritization.

- Oversee external reviews of scientific content and merit of the Program from peer review of individual proposals through National Academy reviews of overall Programmatic content.

- Establish data and specimen policies, advocating for adequate funding for data sharing, processing and analysis, as appropriate, to encourage and facilitate broad scientific access to NASA data and specimens, assuring timely release of data, publicity for and publication of results.

- Lead HRP Chief Scientists Office personnel, and directs activities, approaches, and processes carried out by science portfolio scientists and their subordinates.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • The individual selected will be required to file an Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
  • Successful completion of a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
  • Successful completion of pre-employment and random drug screening may be required.
  • Must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

Candidates must be a recognized subject matter expert with at least 1 year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-15 level in:

1. Significant experience overseeing programs involved with: evaluating human physiological responses to spaceflight and the operational limitations imposed by them; researching the environmental risks of spaceflight to human health and performance; and addressing critical questions required to evaluate and mitigate these risks.

2. Demonstrated experience in the oversight of large research departments and/or diverse research portfolios, including experience as a competitive principal investigator in space biomedical research, participation in recognized peer review processes, leadership of professional research teams, and successful negotiation of research partnerships represented by national and international members.

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.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you MUST address each Senior Level (SL) Evaluation Criteria separately not to exceed a total of ten (10) pages. If you fail to do so, your application will be rated ineligible. Where applicable, please cite experience directly related to the specialized experience requirements outlined above. For the full definition of the SL Evaluation Criteria and Process please click here. Please include your full name on all documents submitted.

SL EVALUATION CRITERIA:

1. Education Level and Training

2.
Technical Excellence and Contributions
a. Experience/Accomplishments
b. Technical and Strategic Problem Solving
c. Information Transfer

3. Awards and Recognition

4. Outside Professional Activities

5. Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skills

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. To be eligible, you must clearly state in your resume the following: degree, major and/or minor, and college/university.

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major study in engineering, physical science, mathematics, life sciences, computer science, or other field of science.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: 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, click here.

Additional information

The selectee will be placed on a term appointment for a period of 3 to 5 years. Upon conclusion of the term appointment, the appointment will either conclude OR the selectee may be converted permanently without further competition.

This term appointment may be terminated at any time.

This position is concurrently advertised on USAJOBS and open to current NASA civil servant career or career conditional employees via announcement JSC-21-SL-11103731, and only one selection will be made. NASA civil service career or career conditional employees should apply to vacancy announcement JSC-21-SL-11103731.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

All qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications above. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:
Biomedical Research
Program/Project Management
Partnership & Business Development
Policy Management
Research
Technical Competence

Under NASA's category rating process, applicants will be assessed on the position competencies and placed in one of three categories identified and defined below:

  • Best Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
  • Highly Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
  • Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Names of all qualified applicants in the Best Qualified category will be referred to a panel of subject matter experts (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which case only those names will be initially certified). Applicants within the Best Qualified category who are eligible for veterans' preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. The panel will further evaluate candidates against the Senior Level (SL) evaluation criteria under the "Qualifications" section of this vacancy announcement. The panel evaluates the candidates' experience against each criteria and determines which candidates will be interviewed. The panel will make a recommendation to the appropriate approving authority.

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