The Space Science and Astrobiology Division is one of three Divisions within the Science Directorate at NASA Ames Research Center. The Division conducts research in astrobiology, planetary science, and astrophysics through a team of 140 civil servants, contractors, postdoctoral fellows and students. Scope of work for Division Chief includes supervision, strategy formulation and implementation, maintenance of technical competence, and cultivating and sustaining relations with stakeholders.
Summary
The Space Science and Astrobiology Division is one of three Divisions within the Science Directorate at NASA Ames Research Center. The Division conducts research in astrobiology, planetary science, and astrophysics through a team of 140 civil servants, contractors, postdoctoral fellows and students. Scope of work for Division Chief includes supervision, strategy formulation and implementation, maintenance of technical competence, and cultivating and sustaining relations with stakeholders.
Do you have a strong desire to lead, inspire and develop people? Do you want your career to leave an enduring impact on others? Do you have a passion for exploration? If you answered yes, we want you!
We recognize the vital role that supervisors play to empower our diverse workforce to achieve goals. At NASA, supervisors must have a unique combination of technical competence, individual energy, and the ability to connect with and motivate others.
In return, we offer a range of missions and people to support, where you'll have the opportunity to contribute to work that matters while helping us create and sustain an environment that fosters connection, engagement, teamwork and innovation.
The Division Chief is responsible for the formulation, strategy, advocacy, and direction of the key research, technology, applied sciences, and programmatic activities pursued by the Division.
Initiates, plans, coordinates, and directs broad theoretical, experimental, and observational research projects and programs aimed at understanding space biology.
Determines the strategic scientific goals and objectives for the Division, defining and advocating new research and projects, and developing management policies and procedures in implementing these goals.
Keeps abreast of all the research and programmatic activities, reviews mission participation activities and performance of the research/engineering/support staff in establishing new opportunities and directions.
Works with and advises the Science Directorate management on the strategic direction and implementation of astrophysics, exobiology and astrobiology programs at the Center.
Responsible for securing and managing resources and facilities and representing the program to and advising Center senior leadership.
Assures adherence to program schedules and high standards of excellence in research, engineering and mission enabling support to the Agency.
Represents the Division and the Center through active roles in professional societies and scientific organizations that are relevant to the Center's astrophysics, astrobiology and planetary science research and programs.
Retains sufficient technical competence to be regarded as a subject matter expert (SME) within the Center and the Agency in areas related to astrophysics, planetary sciences, exobiology, and astrobiology sciences.
Regarded as a nationally recognized authority on research and projects/programs relevant to space biology and/or biophysical sciences.
Participates in scientific and programmatic meetings organized by the Agency, and may be a presenter in national and international seminars and symposia related to the Division Chief's field(s) of expertise.
Conducts performance planning and review of the civil servant staff, including direct responsibility for staff reporting to the Division management, and indirectly assuring that the second level managers perform their duties in a timely manner.
Will be an effective advocate for the Division in meetings with external stakeholders, including representatives of other federal, state and municipal agencies, with academia, and with industry.
Selectee must complete a financial disclosure statement
A one-year supervisory probationary period may be required
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation
Qualifications
In addition to meeting Basic Education Requirements, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-14) level, which has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above.
To Qualify for the GS-15:
One year of specialized experience is defined as experience in leading/managing a team of scientists, researchers, engineers involved in executing Astrophysics, Astrobiology, and/or Planetary Systems Science programs/projects; and/or experience providing science discipline leadership in areas such as chemistry, biology, microbiology, geology, geobiochemisty, or other subdisciplines of astrobiology/exobiology; experience formulating and implementing a strategic plan (including planning, coordinating, and directing theoretical, experimental, or observational research programs).
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 -Related Coursework (optional) -GPA (optional)
The accreditation, type of degree, and course work taken will determine if the basic education requirement is met.
Additional information
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.
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.
As identical vacancies are identified, additional selections may be made from this announcement.
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.
Due to COVID-19, we are unable to take hard copy applications at this time. If you are having issues applying, please reach out to msfc-staffing@mail.nasa.gov and let them know the announcement number and issue BEFORE the announcement closes. The NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) staffing unit will review the request and, if accepted, the NASA Resume Operations Center (ROC) will work with you to have your resume and supplemental information scanned into the system.
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.
Due to COVID-19, we are unable to take hard copy applications at this time. If you are having issues applying, please reach out to msfc-staffing@mail.nasa.gov and let them know the announcement number and issue BEFORE the announcement closes. The NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) staffing unit will review the request and, if accepted, the NASA Resume Operations Center (ROC) will work with you to have your resume and supplemental information scanned into the system.
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.
