Skip to main content
U.S. flag

Space Scientist, AST Planetary Studies (Direct Hire)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Ames Research Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Ames Research Center seeks a Planetary Data Officer to assist the Planetary Science Division (PSD) in advancing the Planetary Data Ecosystem (PDE) and various data initiatives within the Agency and planetary science community. The PDE is the ad hoc connected framework of activities and products built upon and support data collected by planetary space missions and research programs, which primarily are NASA funded. The Officer plays a significant role in re-structuring and improving the PDE.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open date: 12/05/2022
Closed date: 12/23/2022
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$136,992 - $176,300 per year

The salary shown reflects the 2022 rates of pay for GS employees.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
15
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Term - Not to exceed 3 years with the option to extend to a maximum of 6 years
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
ARC-23-DE-11744861-LC
Control number
691643000

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

** This vacancy has been amended to extend the closing date from 12/16/22 to 12/23/22.**

Videos

Duties

Help
  • Collaborate with Planetary Science Division (PSD) to support the development, management, and evolution of the Planetary Data Ecosystem (PDE) this may include using tools such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and/or citizen science.
  • Serve on internal Agency groups focused on advancing data sharing and use policies (see SPD-41) and act as a liaison between Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and PSD data initiatives.
  • Partner with the SMD Chief Science Data Officer to advance open science and similar data-focused objectives.
  • Manage reviews of existing PDE elements within the PSD portfolio and provide recommendations on continuation and closure of PDE projects.
  • Support programs relevant to the PDE (e.g., PDAR/T) by attending status updates, relevant conferences and workshops, creating connections between complementary projects, and additional activities to create an effective and efficient PDE.
  • Present the PSD Data Programs to the PSD, NASA senior management, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Congress, and other agencies and organizations.
  • Lead the development of a workshop series to address a subset of recommendations from the PDE Independent Review Board report.
  • Communicate, engage, and build consensus with multiple stakeholders, including the scientific community, external advisory committees, senior NASA leaders, interagency and international partners, and programs and projects at NASA Centers.
  • Collaborate with the Planetary Data System (PDS) to maintain alignment to the broader PDE with regards to past developments, current status, and future directions.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S
  • Position subject to pre-employment background investigation
  • You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement
  • This position may require a one year trial period

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.

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

  • Designing and/or developing data systems or software tools; utilizing data systems or software tools;
  • Researching and analyzing relevant advisory reports for planetary science that may include: the Planetary Data Ecosystem (PDE) Independent Review Board (IRB) report and the National Academies Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey;
  • Participating in the development and implementation approaches to integrate and organize capabilities and objectives into data initiatives to the science community;
  • Working with initiatives at the request of senior leadership and in close coordination and collaboration with internal/external stakeholders; and
  • Participating on a team providing recommendations and solutions to senior leadership on the development plans and tools with external entities and assessing partnering interest.

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.

Education

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.

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.

Degrees in engineering technology are not considered qualifying for 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 degrees earned 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://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

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.

This appointment may be extended beyond the initial appointment date, for a period not to exceed a total of six years.

Current Federal civilian employees may apply for this position. If selected, a break in service of at least 4 calendar days may be required prior to appointment to this position.

If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must:

- Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility.
- Meet the minimum qualifications requirements for the position
- Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/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.

This is a bargaining unit position. If additional selections are made, those positions may or may not be in a bargaining unit. To learn more about bargaining units at NASA please click here NASA Unions (Bargaining Units) | NASA.

How you will be evaluated

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

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans' preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information please see: Veterans' Preference information on the FedsHireVets website.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. 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:

  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Program/Project Analysis
  • Teamwork
  • Written Communication

NASA considers paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Ames Research Center

Explore the Extraordinary
Calling all the innovators, pioneers, visionaries, and adventurers! We are a diverse group of professionals united by a common purpose: to discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity. We're building on our rich legacy by embarking on new and exciting missions, both on Earth and beyond and we're looking for fresh ideas to help us get there. Do you have a passion for exploration? Do you want your work to leave an enduring impact? Join us in a career that can take you farther than you can imagine. At NASA, our work is more than just a profession-it's a lifelong pursuit, a passion, and a chance to change the world. NASA is more than astronauts. We are scientists, engineers, IT specialists, human resources specialists, accountants, writers, technicians and many other kinds of people working together to break barriers to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Explore the extraordinary, every day; explore a career at NASA!

Agency contact information

NASA Shared Services Contact Center
Phone
1-877-677-2123
Fax
1-866-779-6772
Email
nssc-contactcenter@mail.nasa.gov
Address
Ames Research Center
Moffett Blvd
Mountain View, CA 94035
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Ames Research Center, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.nasa.gov/careers

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.