The Aerospace Simulation Research and Development Branch at NASA Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley is seeking an electrical engineer whose work involves the development and maintenance of electronic systems and control systems used for operating experimental facilities, specifically the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS), Crew Vehicle Systems Research Facility (CVSRF), and FutureFlight Central (FFC). The work is interdisciplinary and spans engineering and physical science fields.
Summary
The Aerospace Simulation Research and Development Branch at NASA Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley is seeking an electrical engineer whose work involves the development and maintenance of electronic systems and control systems used for operating experimental facilities, specifically the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS), Crew Vehicle Systems Research Facility (CVSRF), and FutureFlight Central (FFC). The work is interdisciplinary and spans engineering and physical science fields.
**This vacancy has been amended to extend the closing date to 4/3/2019.**
Under guidance of senior engineers, supports the creation, operation, maintenance and enhancement of aeronautical simulation systems, including motion simulators and their electrical, electronic, and electro-mechanical components and control systems.
Supports electro-mechanical interface, electronic circuit, or electrical circuit design, analysis and documentation. Tests circuits and troubleshoots hardware, including servo controls, to meet system and component-level performance requirements.
Maintains existing systems capabilities and supports system modifications and upgrades to meet modern technological standards.
Supports senior engineers with specification, design, implementation, and integration of new simulation systems, both hardware and software, into existing facilities to produce the highest quality flight simulation possible on time and on budget.
Supports integration with existing systems in a timely and cohesive manner, and identifies integration issues associated with each system's introduction into the facility.
Participates in the specification of appropriate simulation systems needed to fulfill research requirements, including all hardware and software, to integrate into operational facilities.
Maintains familiarity with established safety regulations. Adheres to proper safety practices, and encourages the same of fellow employees. Reports unsafe worksite practices and conditions to supervisor or Facility Safety Monitor.
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation
A one-year probationary period may be required.
Salary range based on 2018 rates without the pending 2019 salary increase.
This position will be filled at the GS-11 grade level only; the full performance level of the position is at the GS-13 grade level. Selectee can be promoted without further competition.
Qualifications
Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, which has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above.
To qualify at the GS-11 level:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement, applicants must possess one of the following:
One year of professional experience in an appropriate field that is at least equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to GS-09 level work in the Federal service.
One year of specialized experience is defined as experience in applying knowledge of electrical engineering concepts, principles, theories, and methods related to supporting the design, development, operation, maintenance, integration or upgrade of electro-mechanical components and controls.
OR
Completion of all requirements for a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field.
OR
Completion of 3 full academic years of graduate education in an appropriate field.
OR
Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed above.
Education
In order to qualify for this position you must meet the Basic Education Requirement
Applicants must have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree with a major in either a) Engineering from a college or university that has ABET accredited engineering programs or b) physical science, mathematics, life Science, computer science, or other fields of science.
Degrees in engineering technology are not considered to be qualifying for this position.
The accreditation, type of degree, and course work taken will determine if the basic education requirements are met.
The degree must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation. To find out if a school has an ABET accreditation, go to ABET accredited schools.
ABET or Foreign accreditation requirement applies to foreign education. Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to the education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. If selected, a written evaluation translated in English of any foreign education must be completed and provided to the Human Resources official making the offer. Please indicate in your resume that you have had your foreign education formally evaluated by the closing date of the announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation may result in your being found unqualified for the position.
Applicants must complete the following fields in USAJOBS Resume Builder, Step 2. Education section in order for education qualifications to be considered for this position:
-College/University Name -State/Territory/Province/Country -City/Town -Degree/Level Attained -Completion date -Major -Minor -GPA
Additional information
Any applicant tentatively selected for this position may be required to undergo a pre-employment background investigation. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. See 'How You Will Be Evaluated' for definition of well qualified. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP consideration must indicate their eligibility when applying for a position. The USAJOBS resume asks you to identify your ICTAP eligibility; the NASA Supplemental Information asks you to identify your CTAP eligibility. If you are selected for the position, you must be prepared to submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location.
As a condition of employment, male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. In order to receive preference in hiring, you must clearly identify your claim for veterans preference on your resume.
NASA's Applicant Guide provides the information needed to assist you in determining whether or not you can claim 5 or 10 point veterans preference. You should not submit documents to prove your eligibility for veterans preference at this time. However, you must be prepared to submit proof of veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, SF-15 plus proof required by that form) as requested by the Human Resources Office. Veterans preference will only be considered based on what is supported For instance, if you claim 10-point preference, but are only able to document 5-point preference, you will be considered accordingly. 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.
Your USAJOBS account asks you to assign a name to each of your resumes. When you apply to a NASA position, we will show you the text of the resume you have submitted, but we do not maintain the name you have assigned to that resume. If you wish to keep track of that information, we recommend you make note of it at the time you apply.
Current Federal employees must meet three months after competitive appointment restrictions by the closing date of the announcement.
As identical vacancies are identified, additional selections may be made.
Identification of promotion potential in this position does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee. Promotion will depend upon approval and need.
The payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.
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.
NASA uses an automated system (Resumix) that matches the competencies extracted from your resume to the competencies identified by the selecting official for the position. Based on the competencies you match, you are placed in one of three categories identified as 90, 80, or 70 pt. quality categories, which are defined as:
90 pt. Category - Tentatively meets (until subsequent confirmation upon referral) the basic qualification requirements identified in the vacancy announcement and has experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in the primary requirements of the position.
80 pt. Category - Tentatively meets (until subsequent confirmation upon referral) the basic qualification requirements identified in the vacancy announcement and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the primary requirements of the position.
70 pt. Category - Fails to meet criteria described in the 80 pt. category.
Additional application guidance is available in NASA's Applicant Guide.
Information for Veterans: The Category Rating Process protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed at the top of the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.
For the purpose of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), candidates rated in the top quality category are considered well-qualified.
If you are eligible for a special program such as individual with a disability, returning Peace Corps Volunteer, or Veterans' Recruitment Appointment, you may apply to this announcement under the hiring authority you are eligible for. To receive consideration under the appropriate hiring authority, you must check mark the applicable category under the "Options" tab when completing the application process.
If you are found qualified, your resume will be forwarded to the hiring manager.
For more information please visit the applicable website(s): Schedule A Hiring Authority - OPM OR NASA Jobs
Peace Corps or AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer - Peace Corps
To receive consideration, you must submit a resume and answer NASA-specific questions. The NASA questions appear after you submit your resume and are transferred to the NASA web site. If you successfully apply, USAJOBS will show your application status as 'Received'. If your status is 'Application Status Not Available', you have not successfully applied. Do not rely on a USAJOBS email to confirm successful application. Only an email from NASA confirms a successful application.
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.
NASA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. In order to apply for this position, you only need to submit your resume and answer the screening questions and supplemental information. No additional documentation is accepted at the time of application. (For example you need not submit narrative 'KSA' statements; they are not required and will not be evaluated.) In this way we allow you to focus on preparing a resume that best describes your background and abilities. For assistance in preparing your resume, consult the Applicant Guide. Nothing further is required until requested by the Human Resources Office. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume. For example, we may ask you to provide academic transcripts or proof of Federal employment status. If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, SF-15 plus proof required by that form). 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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
This vacancy is being filled through NASA STARS, an automated Staffing and Recruitment System. NASA partners with USAJOBS in providing a seamless application process. Before you begin the application process, please read the vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. You may begin the process of submitting your resume by clicking on the 'Apply Online' link. In order to be considered, you must submit a resume completed on the USAJOBS site. When completing your USAJOBS resume, please remember that NASA limits resumes to approximately 32,000 characters including spaces. NASA does not accept resumes uploaded to USAJOBS from a second source or documents attached through USAJOBS' document attachment feature. Once you submit your resume to NASA, you will be asked to complete a short series of additional questions. You must finish the entire process in order to have a complete application package and receive consideration. Your answers will not be saved unless you finish the entire application. You may edit a previously-submitted application, if the announcement is still open. If you are unable to apply electronically for this position, submit your resume and supplemental questions to:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 4200 Rideout Road Resume Operations Center/Mailstop: HS50 Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
DO NOT submit your resume directly to the Center advertising this vacancy. Mailed resumes must be received by the close of business on the closing date of the announcement. Hard copy resumes requirements are provided at: Hard Copy Resume Requirements. If you are a first time applicant, we recommend that you review NASA's Applicant Guide to ensure that you are providing a complete resume. Failure to submit the supplemental data and a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration for positions in which you are interested. All applications must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
NASA's Resume Operations Center
4200 Rideout Road, Mailstop HS50
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
US
Next steps
Candidates for NASA positions are evaluated using our automated staffing and recruitment system, NASA STARS, which compares your skills and experience as described in your resume with the requirements of the position. If you are found to be a highly qualified candidate, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. (In some cases, individuals with priority for special consideration must be considered and selected before other candidates.) Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the selecting official. At NASA, we pride ourselves on efficient and timely recruitment actions, and you can normally expect to learn the outcome of the selection process in a fairly short period of time. In addition, to ensure that you can measure progress for yourself, NASA provides you with regularly updated information on the status of the vacancy announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
NASA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. In order to apply for this position, you only need to submit your resume and answer the screening questions and supplemental information. No additional documentation is accepted at the time of application. (For example you need not submit narrative 'KSA' statements; they are not required and will not be evaluated.) In this way we allow you to focus on preparing a resume that best describes your background and abilities. For assistance in preparing your resume, consult the Applicant Guide. Nothing further is required until requested by the Human Resources Office. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume. For example, we may ask you to provide academic transcripts or proof of Federal employment status. If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, SF-15 plus proof required by that form). 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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
This vacancy is being filled through NASA STARS, an automated Staffing and Recruitment System. NASA partners with USAJOBS in providing a seamless application process. Before you begin the application process, please read the vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. You may begin the process of submitting your resume by clicking on the 'Apply Online' link. In order to be considered, you must submit a resume completed on the USAJOBS site. When completing your USAJOBS resume, please remember that NASA limits resumes to approximately 32,000 characters including spaces. NASA does not accept resumes uploaded to USAJOBS from a second source or documents attached through USAJOBS' document attachment feature. Once you submit your resume to NASA, you will be asked to complete a short series of additional questions. You must finish the entire process in order to have a complete application package and receive consideration. Your answers will not be saved unless you finish the entire application. You may edit a previously-submitted application, if the announcement is still open. If you are unable to apply electronically for this position, submit your resume and supplemental questions to:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 4200 Rideout Road Resume Operations Center/Mailstop: HS50 Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
DO NOT submit your resume directly to the Center advertising this vacancy. Mailed resumes must be received by the close of business on the closing date of the announcement. Hard copy resumes requirements are provided at: Hard Copy Resume Requirements. If you are a first time applicant, we recommend that you review NASA's Applicant Guide to ensure that you are providing a complete resume. Failure to submit the supplemental data and a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration for positions in which you are interested. All applications must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
NASA's Resume Operations Center
4200 Rideout Road, Mailstop HS50
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
US
Next steps
Candidates for NASA positions are evaluated using our automated staffing and recruitment system, NASA STARS, which compares your skills and experience as described in your resume with the requirements of the position. If you are found to be a highly qualified candidate, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. (In some cases, individuals with priority for special consideration must be considered and selected before other candidates.) Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the selecting official. At NASA, we pride ourselves on efficient and timely recruitment actions, and you can normally expect to learn the outcome of the selection process in a fairly short period of time. In addition, to ensure that you can measure progress for yourself, NASA provides you with regularly updated information on the status of the vacancy announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
