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Director for Spectrum Policy and Planning

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters, NASA

Summary

The Director for Spectrum Policy and Planning analyzes spectrum utilization issues and policies, providing expert service and recommendations to the management officials with delegated responsibility to direct and discharge all major elements of the Agency's spectrum management program. Serves as a technical expert in both national and international spectrum management, representing NASA in the development of spectrum management use policy while performing official liaison with national bodies.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/02/2026 to 02/17/2026
Salary
$151,661 to - $217,332 per year
Pay scale & grade
SL 00
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—NASA may consider reimbursement of relocation expenses based on Agency discretion and/or organizational needs; relocation expense reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
HQ-26-SL-12873346
Control number
856274700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is open to: current federal employees on career, career conditional; NASA term appointments with conversion eligibility; current permanent federal employees of an excepted service agency with an OPM interchange agreement; and Veterans eligible under Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.

Duties

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The Director for Spectrum Policy and Planning:

  • Reviews and recommends approval of developed descriptions of proposed missions that include forecasts of NASA's programmatic and administrative telecommunications and associated spectrum needs for the long term (5 to 20 years). Recommends all Agency long-range planning initiatives relative to the allocation and use of the spectrum for spaceflight operations.
  • Recommends approval of the development of plans and strategies aimed at securing the necessary radio frequency spectrum and orbital arc resources required for the successful conduct of the Agency's current and future telecommunications and scientific observation requirements.
  • Advises the Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Communications and Navigation and senior NASA officials on spectrum strategy critical to the conduct of the Agency's mission and provides policy and planning guidance regarding overall coordination of spectrum management across all NASA centers' spectrum management activities.
  • Actively participates in an official capacity in the collective national process for recommending plans and strategies for managing the spectrum and orbital arc resources on behalf of the Federal Government by being the Agency technical representative to the interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC).
  • Directs and approves results of studies and assessments conducted to assist in selection of technically and politically appropriate spectrum areas needed to assure compatible use of frequencies during critical spaceflight operations.
  • Formulates recommendations for spectrum management policy, rules, and guidelines, including relevant schedules required for effective administration of the NASA Spectrum Management Program.
  • Conducts Headquarters and field assessments to assure compliance with Agency, national, and international policy and regulations governing the Agency's use of the critically important spectrum and orbital arc resources.
  • Acts as Senior Agency Technical Representative in various national and international spectrum management organizations including the important international SFCG.
  • Serves as senior NASA person credentialed for official duty as U.S. Delegate to International Telecommunication Union activities such as International Radio Consultative Committee meetings and World Administrative Radio Conferences.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • The individual selected will be required to file an 'Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report' (OGE-278e) within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
  • 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 be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance as required by the position.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period. See additional information section.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
Candidates must be a recognized subject matter expert with at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-15 level (5 years preferred) in radio-communication technology, spectrum management, spectrum licensing, and associated national and international spectrum regulatory policies of sufficient depth to allow the identification, assessment, and development of solutions to complex radio and telecommunications challenges involving both technical and policy considerations. In addition, demonstrated experience managing and delivering results across complex stakeholder groups, such as inter-agency and international stakeholders.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement, or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the position. NASA strictly prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tools to draft application or assessment responses. For more information, please refer to NASA's guidance: https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, your resume must also address each of the Senior Level (SL) Evaluation Criteria listed below. Failure to address these criteria will result in your application being rated ineligible. For the full definition of the SL Evaluation Criteria please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/executiveleadership/#SL-Evaluation-Criteria. Please include your full name on all documents submitted.

SL EVALUATION CRITERIA:

1. Technical Excellence and Contributions

  1. Experience/Accomplishments
  2. Technical and Strategic Problem Solving
  3. Information Transfer

2. Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skill

Please refer to the "How you will be evaluated" section for a list of competencies that you will be evaluated on.

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 college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

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

This position is concurrently advertised on USAJOBS under announcement HQ-26-SL-12873287and is open to the public, only one selection will be made. Only current federal employees on career, career conditional; NASA term appointments with conversion eligibility; current permanent federal employees of an excepted service agency with an OPM interchange agreement; and Veterans eligible under Veterans Employment Opportunity Act are eligible for this vacancy announcement. All other interested applicants should apply to announcement HQ-26-SL-12873287.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • Your performance and conduct;
  • The needs and interests of the agency;
  • Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 this announcement.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. As part of the assessment, your resume will be assessed on SL Evaluation Criteria and used to place you into one of three quality groups. These scores, along with your qualifications and supporting materials, will determine your referral status. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

These competencies will be assessed using technical assessments. They may also be evaluated during a structured interview:

  • Technical Work and Team Management
  • Partnering
  • Technical Competence
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Problem Solving
  • Teaching Others
  • Communications Network and Engineering
  • Policy Management
Under NASA's category rating process, applicants will be assessed on the position competencies and placed in one of three categories identified and defined below:
  • Best Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
  • Highly Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
  • Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.
The panel reviews the resumes against each SL criterion. Names of all qualified applicants in the Best Qualified category will be referred. Candidates may receive an interview for further evaluation and/or be asked to provide a list of references. The panel will make a recommendation to the appropriate approving authority.

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