A Senior Research Pilot for the Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) Flight Crew Branch, serves as the Chief Pilot for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) project providing policy and procedural guidance for SOFIA flight operations, and is responsible for managing, planning, coordinating, and directing all SOFIA flight crew activities.
**THIS VACANCY HAS BEEN AMENDED TO EXTEND THE CLOSING DATE TO 03/02/2020.**
Summary
A Senior Research Pilot for the Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) Flight Crew Branch, serves as the Chief Pilot for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) project providing policy and procedural guidance for SOFIA flight operations, and is responsible for managing, planning, coordinating, and directing all SOFIA flight crew activities.
**THIS VACANCY HAS BEEN AMENDED TO EXTEND THE CLOSING DATE TO 03/02/2020.**
Serves as Chief Pilot for the SOFIA project providing policy and procedural guidance for SOFIA flight operations, and is responsible for managing, planning, coordinating, and directing all SOFIA flight crew activities.
Provides administrative, technical, policy, and procedural guidance for SOFIA flight operations, the flight crew, and mission planners and ensures the crews are trained and available to accomplish the mission.
Performs aerospace engineer and pilot duties on NASA research aircraft, as well as for flight test programs and training flights.
Determines the operational compatibility and economic feasibility of structural and/or instrumental modifications to cognizant aircraft, and determines the overall effect on safety-of-flight, handling characteristics, and performance parameters.
Develops, implements, and oversees the safety management system, approves/publishes program operational procedures, and coordinates proposed research flight plans.
As SOFIA's Chief Pilot provides oversight and inputs on proposed modifications, repairs, and adjustments to the aircraft that may affect airworthiness.
Collaborates with other US Government agencies, civilian contractor corporations, and Center mission and service staffs regarding office functions.
Selectee must complete a financial disclosure statement
Drug designated position subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
A one year probationary period may be required.
Successful completion of a security investigation will be required. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
This position requires the incumbent to have successfully completed a Class 1 Flight Physical.
This position requires the incumbent have the following current License and/or Certification: Incumbent must possess a FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with an Airplane or military rating.
Qualifications
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above.
To Qualify for the GS-14:
One year of specialized experience is defined as experience as a pilot of a heavy aircraft used in aerospace research, development, or test programs AND experience coordinating aircraft modification/repairs.
To Qualify for the GS-15:
One year of specialized experience is defined as experience as a pilot in managing/leading flight crew activities in flight operations for aerospace research AND experience in policy development; experience in the oversight of aircraft modifications/repairs.
ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS:
You must state all required qualifications below in your resume to be considered, if the requirements for this position cannot not be determined based on the information in your resume you will be disqualified:
Minimum eligibility requirements are based on possession of the appropriate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Commercial Pilot Certificate with an Airplane and/or appropriate military ratings, meeting the applicable flight hour requirements, and possession of the knowledge and skills required for the positions.
AND
Have a minimum of 1,500 hours of PIC flight time that includes at least 500 hours as the PIC in a transport or bomber class aircraft with a gross weight appropriate to the weight category for which hired (greater than 150,000 pounds for DC-8 or B-747 aircraft).
AND
Resume must show flight experience in the following listed items below to include documentation to show possession of the knowledge and skills required for the work by meeting certain minimum flight hour requirements in manned aircraft, including recency of flight experience as follows:
1. 100 hours Flying Time within the last 12 months
FLYING TIME IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS -- Up to one-half of the flight hours may be waived provided the individual's total background reflects the ability to perform the duties of the position safely.
NOTE*** Candidates establishing eligibility based on military flight experience must provide official orders, forms, or logbooks showing their status as a rated military pilot when requested.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS:
At the time of initial appointment, candidates for all pilot positions must possess a current first class medical certificate in accordance with FAA regulations or NASA equivalent.
All applicants are encouraged to apply a Human Resources Specialist will review to determine if qualifications are met.
Education
In order to qualify for this position you must meet 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*, Other fields of science.
*Note: Curriculum must include 30 semester hours of course work in a combination of mathematics, statistics and computer science. Of the 30 semester hours, 15 must be in any combination of statistics and mathematics which includes differential and integral calculus.
Degrees in engineering technology are not considered to be qualifying for this position.
When there is a positive education requirement, or you are using education to qualify as a substitution for experience, official transcripts may be required at the time of selection to verify that you meet the educational requirement or substitution.
All degree(s) 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/. Engineering degrees must have been awarded from a college or university school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). To find out if a degree meets this requirement, go to http://www.abet.org.
All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements; ABET accreditation will apply to engineering degrees. Applicants must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Applicants MUST list the following REQUIRED information on submitted resume to assist with determining if the basic education requirements for this position have been met. If the required information is not provided you will be disqualified from consideration:
-College/University Name -State/Territory/Province/Country -City/Town -Degree/Level Attained -Completion date -Major/Minor -GPA (optional)
The accreditation, type of degree, and course work taken will determine if the basic education requirement is met.
Additional information
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 USAJOBS resume asks you to identify your ICTAP eligibility; the NASA Supplemental Information asks you to identify your CTAP eligibility.
Be well qualified for this position to receive consideration. See 'How You Will Be Evaluated' for NASA's definition of well qualified.
Be prepared to submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP if you are selected for the position. This includes copies of your agency notice, most recent Performance Rating and most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location.
This position is announced under Direct Hire authority. Recruitment for this position will follow guidelines established by the Office of Personnel Management for use of Direct Hire authority.
As identical vacancies are identified, additional selections may be made.
You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
At NASA each organization is free to establish telework procedures that are compatible with mission requirements, while offering employees some options for work/life balance. Specific telework request will need to be approved by the immediate supervisor.
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.
This position is announced under Direct Hire authority. A Human Resources Specialist will review your resume to determine if you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements as listed in 'Requirements'.
CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be assessed using NASA STARS, an automated system 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 point 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.
For the purpose of the CTAP and ICTAP, candidates rated in the top quality (90 pt.) category are considered well-qualified.
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 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.
Before you begin the application process, please read the vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. Failure to submit a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration. Your application must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
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 uploaded resumes created outside of the USAJOBS resume builder process. Additionally, NASA does not accept documents attached through the USAJOBS' document attachment feature.
Once you submit your resume to NASA, you will be transferred to a NASA website and asked to complete a short series of NASA-specific questions. 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 successfully apply, USAJOBS will show your application status as 'Received'. If your status is 'Unavailable', 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.
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. 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
If you are found to meet the qualification and eligibility requirements, 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 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.
Before you begin the application process, please read the vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. Failure to submit a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration. Your application must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
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 uploaded resumes created outside of the USAJOBS resume builder process. Additionally, NASA does not accept documents attached through the USAJOBS' document attachment feature.
Once you submit your resume to NASA, you will be transferred to a NASA website and asked to complete a short series of NASA-specific questions. 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 successfully apply, USAJOBS will show your application status as 'Received'. If your status is 'Unavailable', 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.
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. 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
If you are found to meet the qualification and eligibility requirements, 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.
