Serves as the Agency Senior Technical Leader, Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP), for all NASA nuclear propulsion technologies, with an objective to identify and leverage commonalities across power and propulsion systems. The Senior Technical Leader, SNP, reports functionally to the Space Technology Mission Directorate's (STMD)Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) Program Office, and administratively to the Science and Technology Office at Marshall Space Flight Center.
Summary
Serves as the Agency Senior Technical Leader, Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP), for all NASA nuclear propulsion technologies, with an objective to identify and leverage commonalities across power and propulsion systems. The Senior Technical Leader, SNP, reports functionally to the Space Technology Mission Directorate's (STMD)Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) Program Office, and administratively to the Science and Technology Office at Marshall Space Flight Center.
The area of consideration for this position is open to current NASA civil service employees on career or career conditional appointments with conversion eligibility. A person is considered to be in the civil service only if occupying a civil service position at the time of application.
The Senior Technical Leader, Space Nuclear Propulsion:
Leads and integrates a multi-center, multi-agency team that manages all existing and planned technology developments for nuclear propulsion systems with the goal of developing a system capable of a crewed 2 year round trip Mars Transit Mission.
Leads critical development and nurturing of partnerships with industry and other government agencies including, but not limited to the Departments of Defense and Energy. Identifies key strategic areas of alignment with national nuclear capabilities and goals. Leverages those partnerships to become smart buyers of nuclear technology from private industry.
Serves as the Agency's Nuclear Propulsion Manager for all NASA nuclear propulsion technologies, with an objective to identify and leverage commonalities across power and propulsion systems. Provides critical and timely support to NASA Headquarters on public information requests, congressional inquiries, and other stakeholder requests. Functions as the forward facing nuclear propulsion expert for the agency in external engagements.
Oversees the establishment of the Level 2 Nuclear Propulsion Program Office supporting NASA's Space Nuclear technology portfolio. Leads the integration and management of the Nuclear Propulsion Program office for technology development and demonstration of a nuclear thermal rocket engine. Lead the transition for the Program office to evolve into a human Mars transit (e.g., Nuclear Electric Propulsion and/or Nuclear Thermal Propulsion) project office in support of the Mars Exploration Campaign.
Responsible for advancing the maturity of technologies and demonstrating system capabilities that enable the conversion of fission thermal energy to power electric and thermal propulsion needs for future missions. Lead the periodic reevaluation of technology maturation plans to ensure the most efficient development path for a nuclear thermal and nuclear electric rocket engine.
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 random drug screening may be required.
Must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Qualifications
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
Candidates must possess broad engineering expertise at least 1 year of which is in positions at or comparable to the GS-15 level and must be a recognized subject matter expert. Must possess experience in complex space propulsion systems, including the design, development, certification, and operation of space flight systems. Must possess significant experience in technical program/project management in the design, development, certification, and operation of complex space flight systems. Must have experience in nuclear propulsion systems.
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. Please cite experience directly related to the specialized experience requirements (outlined above) when addressing the SL evaluation criteria #2 (Technical Excellence and Contributions) and SL evaluation criteria #5 (Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skills). 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 receives a temporary promotion and serves for a period of 3 to 5 years. Upon conclusion of the temporary promotion, the selectee will then return to an appropriate position at a grade level no lower than the grade previously held. This temporary promotion may be converted to a permanent appointment without further competition. This temporary promotion may be terminated at any time.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance.
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.
All qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants that meet minimum eligibility requirements outlined in the Qualifications and Education (if applicable) sections of the vacancy announcement will be referred to a panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation. The panel reviews the resumes and responses to the SL evaluation criteria as related to the specialized experience for this position. The panel evaluates the candidates' experience against each SL criterion. Candidates may receive an interview for further evaluation and/or be asked to provide a list of references. The panel will make a recommendation to the appropriate approving authority.
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.
You must provide a complete application package. If you do not provide all required information, you will not be considered for this position. Only provide the following:
1. Resume showing relevant work experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry. Limit your resume to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. SL Evaluation Criteria narrative responses. Limit your responses to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation to support your eligibility and the information provided in your application package. For example, we may request transcripts, SF-50s, etc. Therefore, we encourage you to have these documents prepared and ready when requested by the agency. If you fail to provide the required documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw a job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Ctr
Huntsville, AL 35811
US
Next steps
Although you may or may not be contacted during the selection process, we will always advise you about the outcome of the announcement. If you have questions, please feel free to contact NASA Executive Staffing at Agency-Executive-Staffing@mail.nasa.gov.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must provide a complete application package. If you do not provide all required information, you will not be considered for this position. Only provide the following:
1. Resume showing relevant work experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry. Limit your resume to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. SL Evaluation Criteria narrative responses. Limit your responses to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation to support your eligibility and the information provided in your application package. For example, we may request transcripts, SF-50s, etc. Therefore, we encourage you to have these documents prepared and ready when requested by the agency. If you fail to provide the required documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw a job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Ctr
Huntsville, AL 35811
US
Next steps
Although you may or may not be contacted during the selection process, we will always advise you about the outcome of the announcement. If you have questions, please feel free to contact NASA Executive Staffing at Agency-Executive-Staffing@mail.nasa.gov.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
