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AST - Technical Engineer Operations Management (Direct Hire)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters, NASA
This job announcement has closed

Summary

As a program executive in the Launch Services Office, you will serve as the NASA HQ focal point and liaison between NASA's science and technology payloads and the Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center. Additionally, you will serve as an Agency expert on the commercial launch service market and the policies that govern it.

**Closing date of announcement has been extended to 1/10/23**

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 01/05/2023
Closed date: 01/10/2023
Location
2 vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$116,393 - $183,500 per year

Salary range reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries of the locations. Actual salary range varies by selectee(s) location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14 - 15
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
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
HQ-23-DE-11761183-JK
Control number
697700200

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Duties

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  • Duties described below are at the full-performance level. Duties assigned at a lower grade level will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
  • Oversees the selection and execution of payloads for the Cubesat Launch Initiative (CSLI). Provides strategic guidance to the Launch Services Program (LSP) personnel managing the integration of payloads into CSLI.
  • Manages CSLI contractor personnel, tracks performance and provides strategic direction.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert (SME) for Agency and National-level launch related policies providing review, input and support as required.
  • Provides advice to NASA HQ colleagues regarding commercial launch services; LSP capabilities; Agency and National-level launch related policies; and the terms and features of the NASA LSP launch service contract mechanisms.
  • Serves as the principle Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD) POC for NASA?s rideshare initiative through the Small Satellite Coordination Group (SSCG), working across the Agency and government during mission formulation and execution.
  • Serves as the Program Executive for NASA?s Class D payloads; provides expertise to science and exploration projects on the features of the Venture Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract for risk-tolerant payloads.
  • Serves as Program Executive for missions originating in the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Provides expertise in launch service acquisition and management to SMD and STMD projects. Serves as a liaison and integrator between HQ and LSP.
  • Ensures projects are adhering to all applicable commercial space launch command media, to include, NASA procedural directives.
  • Serves as NASA?s focal point for the interagency coordination of all commercial space activity, to include, the coordination and integration of license reviews for launch and reentry licensing, spectrum licensing, remote sensing licensing and more.
  • Integrates NASA?s policy positions on issues such as space situational awareness/space traffic management, planetary protection, and other policy issues and communicates those positions through the licensing process.

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.
  • Position subject to pre-employment background security investigation.
  • You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • If selected, you will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement.
  • If selected, you may discuss the possibility of remote work with your supervisor, limited to the locations indicated within the announcement.

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

  • Applying a working knowledge of the US commercial launch market and the federal government policies (eg. NASA, FAA, FCC, NTIA, OSTP, NSpC) that govern it;
  • Supporting one or more aspects of the commercial launch service mission life cycle process (e.g., Phase 1: Mission Planning, Phase II: Baseline Mission & Procure Launch Service, Phase III: Mission Integration & Requirements Development, Phase IV: Mission Integration and Design Implementation, Phase V: Launch Site Operations, Phase VI: Launch, Phase VII: Post Launch) and;
  • Facilitating or coordinating among and between multi-disciplinary teams in order to accomplish a mission or goal.
To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the federal sector:
  • Serving in a high-level leadership/executive role applying knowledge of the US commercial launch market and federal government policies (eg. NASA, FAA, FCC, NTIA, OSTP, NSpC) that govern it;
  • Leading one or more aspects of the commercial launch service mission life cycle process (e.g., Phase 1: Mission Planning, Phase II: Baseline Mission & Procure Launch Service, Phase III: Mission Integration & Requirements Development, Phase IV: Mission Integration and Design Implementation, Phase V: Launch Site Operations, Phase VI: Launch, Phase VII: Post Launch) and;
  • Supervising or leading a multi-disciplinary team and/or project in order to accomplish complex missions or goals.
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.

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:

  • Oral Communication
  • Leadership
  • Technical Competence
  • Program/Project Analysis
  • Program/Project Management
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.

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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
NASA Headquarters
300 E St SW
Washington, DC 20546
US

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https://www.nasa.gov/careers

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