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Chief, Structural Engineering Division

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

Summary

The incumbent exercises technical and administrative management of the organization responsible for design, development, test, integration, operation, and sustaining engineering activities in the areas of structures, materials, loads, fracture analysis and control, environments, structural dynamics, thermal protection, thermal control, mechanical systems design, manufacturing and materials process control, and advanced manufacturing process development in support of human spaceflight programs.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 02/22/2023
Closed date: 03/15/2023
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$183,529 - $196,022 per year
Pay scale & grade
ES 00
Promotion potential
None
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
Yes
Federal service type
This job is in the Senior Executive Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
JSC-23-ES-11789457
Control number
707883700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

The area of consideration for this position is all groups of qualified individuals within the civil service, Senior Executive Service (SES) reinstatement eligible, and SES Candidate Development Program certified graduates with noncompetitive eligibility. A person is considered to be in the civil service only if occupying a civil service position at the time of application.

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Duties

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This position reports to the Director, Engineering Directorate. The Chief, Structural Engineering Division:

  • Is responsible for technical management of activities in the domain areas of structures, materials and processes, fracture analysis and control, environments, structural and mechanical design analysis, heat transfer analysis, and thermodynamics analysis, structural, mechanical kinematic and loads analysis, and structural and environmental testing.
  • Responsibilities include oversight of onsite manufacturing capabilities including manufacturing planning, manufacturing, general process improvements, and advanced manufacturing process developmen.
  • Oversees and manages the design, development, test and evaluation of spacecraft structural, mechanical and thermal protection systems, including unique human space flight expertise and applications in the domains of ablative and non-ablative heatshield design, analysis and certification, docking systems design, multipoint dynamics and contact analysis and certification of on-orbit docking and mass optimization.
  • Establishes requirements and milestones; provides technical leadership and coordination in performance of the activities; and facilitates implementation of activity results.
  • Establishes and operates the necessary laboratories and test facilities for structural and dynamic testing in support of in-house conceptual development, certification and failure analysis of spacecraft systems.
  • Is responsible for on-site manufacturing capabilities, including light and heavy machine shops, composite and sheet metal production, additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping, surface finishing, and painting and cleaning facilities.
  • Represents the Division with upper Center management and represents the Directorate across the Agency with similar domain expertise at other NASA centers.

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.
  • Initial Senior Executive Service (SES) Career appointee is subject to a one-year probationary period.
  • Successful completion of a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
  • Successful completion of pre-employment and random drug testing may be required.
  • Must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

You must have the skill and ability to perform the duties described above as demonstrated by progressively responsible supervisory/leadership experience, normally obtained over several years by serving in positions at the GS-15 level or equivalent.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you MUST address each Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) and Mandatory Technical Qualification (MTQ) separately. If you fail to do so, your application will be rated ineligible. We recommend you provide two (2) examples of relevant experience for each ECQ. Responses to ALL ECQs must not exceed ten (10) pages; MTQ responses must not exceed one (1) page per MTQ. Please include your full name on all documents submitted.

If you are currently serving under a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program and been certified by Office of Personnel Management (OPM) you MUST submit a resume and in a separate document address the MTQs. Any ECQs submitted will not be considered. Your resume must clearly state that you are a current career SES, eligible for reinstatement, or SES CDP certified and year of certification.

When preparing your responses to the ECQs and MTQs, you are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action, and Result model outlined in the OPM's Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualification. For a sample template on how to format your ECQ narrative visit NASA's Executive Leadership Opportunities.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS:

ECQ 1 - Leading Change: The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

ECQ 2 - Leading People: The ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

ECQ 3 - Results Driven: The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

ECQ 4 - Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

ECQ 5 - Building Coalitions: The ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.


MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS:

MTQ 1 - Demonstrated experience in leading and managing a large matrixed engineering organization responsible for hardware development, manufacturing and certification, and planning and conducting large scale test and development activities.

MTQ 2 - Demonstrated experience in human spacecraft structural mechanics, including structural design and analysis, materials, loads and dynamics, mechanical systems, and thermal protection systems.

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

Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

This announcement has been extended to March 15, 2023.

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.

We will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the basic qualification requirements, your application will be evaluated based on your narrative statements addressing the ECQs and MTQs. Your application may then be referred to and evaluated by an Executive Resources Panel (ERP) and will be placed in one of the following categories: Not Qualified, Qualified, or Highly-qualified. Candidates may receive an interview and/or be asked to provide a list of references. The ERP will make a recommendation to the appropriate approving authority.

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

At NASA, we are united by a common purpose: to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind. Our diverse set of engineering, scientific, aeronautics and space exploration missions are leaving an enduring impact on humanity. As our missions grow more complex, we will rely on leaders with vision, creativity, and programmatic and technical expertise to lead us into the new era of exploration. In addition to programmatic knowledge, NASA's strong leadership cadre also plays a vital role in empowering our diverse workforce to achieve our shared goals. At NASA, the key to our success is our people. Join us and contribute to work that matters, while helping us create and sustain an environment that fosters excellence, teamwork, inclusiveness, safety and integrity. Align your talents with your passion, and find out why NASA is consistently named a best place to work in the federal government. Join us as we explore the extraordinary, every day.

Agency contact information

NASA Executive Staffing
Email
Agency-Executive-Staffing@mail.nasa.gov
Address
Johnson Space Center
2101 NASA Parkway
Houston, TX 77058
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.nasa.gov/careers

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