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Health Physicist

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
John F. Kennedy Space Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Serves as the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Health Physicist and Radiation Protection Officer in the Aerospace Medicine and Occupational Health Branch of the Spaceport Integration and Services Directorate. This position serves as the senior technical lead, expert, and Center authority for all health physics matters related to ionizing and nonionizing radiation at KSC or under KSC purview.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
02/24/2020 to 02/28/2020
Salary
$127,663 to - $165,967 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Kennedy Space Center, FL
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training or other work-related duties
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
KS20C0071
Control number
560158400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Kennedy Space Center (KSC) employees on career, career conditional, non-competitive, and NASA term appointments that provide for conversion eligibility. Current NASA employees on long-term rotational assignments to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center or the NASA Safety Center.

Duties

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  • Serves as the technical authority for review and evaluation of procedures and processes to characterize the potential for personnel exposure and contamination.
  • Directs and evolves the KSC Radiation Protection Program (RPP) in accordance with NASA, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, and State of Florida regulations.
  • Makes critical decisions and recommendations significantly changing, interpreting and developing important policy and assures comprehensive application of RPP provisions to all activities under KSC purview.
  • Provides technical direction to a team of health physicist contractors and ensures appropriate radiological monitoring, surveys, inspections, and regulatory compliance support services for all uses of ionizing and nonionizing radiation sources.
  • Leads development of new or revised national, state, and local regulations, standards, and guidelines, which impact NASA ionizing and nonionizing radiation protection requirements (e.g., American National Standards Institute).
  • Leads team of multidisciplinary experts for the radiological contingency planning (RCP) for major radiological source launches.
  • Leads RCP and radiation protection briefings to local elected officials, the Governor of Florida, the NASA Administrator, and the Science Advisor to the President in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
  • Influences, interprets, and develops important national public policy by serving as an advisor to the Nuclear Flight Safety Assurance Manager from the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) and the OSTP.
  • Serves as a voting member of the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel (INSRP) that evaluates the nuclear launch safety for major radiological source launches, including the Mars 2020 mission.
  • Leads KSC RPP evaluation of the Department of Energy (DOE) Mars 2020 Mission Final Safety Analysis Report.
  • Leads and directs the Radiological Control Center (RADCC), a telemetry lab with cutting edge analytical tools, during countdown, launch, and orbital insertion of major, highly complex nuclear payloads in ill-defined environments.
  • Leads multidisciplinary staff to research, collect and assess telemetry data from the Environmental Continuous Air Monitors (ECAMs) to determine if a radioactive material release has occurred.
  • Determines the need for and leads pioneering efforts to identify and develop new methodologies and equipment to support previously unforeseen issues and consequences concerning potential radiological contamination of KSC facilities and personnel.
  • Maintains KSC's Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) broad-scope license. Coordinates and interfaces with NRC officials and inspectors in matters related to compliance inspections, interpretation of rules and regulations, and incident notifications.
  • Leads, coordinates and integrates KSC RPP requirements with NASA Headquarters and Centers, the 45th Space Wing Radiation Protection Officer, and the Safety Office and other organizations.
  • Leads and serves as senior technical expert advisor to the KSC Radiation Protection Committee.
  • Represents Spaceport Integration and Services on crewed and expendable payloads Ground Safety Review Panels and leads health physics operational support for payload integration and processing activities.
  • Represents the agency on multiple committees related to development of national laser safety standards that affect NASA by supporting the NASA Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer.
  • Serves as the Laser Safety Officer on the NASA Laser Safety Review Board which provides oversight and advises NASA senior management regarding outdoor laser operations (including space-based) under NASA purview.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • You must possess at least a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent.
  • You must complete a financial disclosure statement.
  • This is a drug-testing designated position.
  • Position subject to a pre-employment drug test.

Qualifications

In addition to the Basic 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.

GS-15: One year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-14) is defined as experience negotiating and settling matters involving significant and controversial radiological issues with severe public health consequence; leading the development of new or revised national, state, and local regulations, standards, and guidelines related to ionizing and nonionizing radiation protection requirements; leading and directing staff to identify and develop new methodologies and equipment related to radiological contamination; and leads health physics operational support for payload integration and processing activities.

Education

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A.

Additional information

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.

Qualified NASA term employees who have term conversion eligibility under the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004 will be referred and considered equally with other NASA permanent employees under internal competitive placement procedures.

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.

Fair Employment Opportunities for Applicants
NASA Credit for National Service

As identical vacancies are identified additional selections may be made.

Current Federal employees must meet time in grade and three months after competitive appointment restrictions by the closing date of the announcement.

At NASA/KSC 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Resumes will be rated by an automated system (Resumix) that matches the competencies extracted from the candidate's resume to the competencies identified by the selecting official for the position. Candidates will be evaluated on the competencies they possess that are directly related to the duties of the job, as described in the announcement. Candidates should refer to NASA's Applicant Guide for assistance in developing a complete resume, as NASA will not accept separate KSA statements.

Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality levels based on the degree to which their competencies meet the duties required. A human resources specialist will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the selecting official. For the purpose of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), candidates rated in the top quality level are considered well-qualified.

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