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Community Planner

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters, NASA

Summary

As a Community Planner within the Facilities and Real Estate Division, Office of Strategic Infrastructure (OSI) you will provide support to the agency's facilities and real property management function including facilities planning, design, construction, maintenance, operation, resource and budget, and real estate. You will lead the development of the Agency Master Plan, leading the Master Planning Community of Practice and assisting the Centers with their Master Plans.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/28/2026 to 05/04/2026
Salary
$147,945 - $197,200 per year

Salary range reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries of the locations. Actual salary range varies by selectee(s) location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Marshall Space Flight Ctr
Huntsville, AL
Armstrong Flight Research Ctr
Edwards AFB, CA
Ames Research Ctr
Moffett Field, CA
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
HQ-26-DE-12945141-CWO
Control number
866810100

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Duties

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  • Leads the development and execution of the Agency Master Plan. Provides overall leadership through collaboration with Centers, Mission Directorates, Capability Portfolios, and other key stakeholders.
  • Manages the Master Planning Program, including the Agency's Capital Investment Program Plan (CIPP) tied to Construction of Facilities (CoF) requirements and prioritization of CoF projects.
  • Serves as an expert consultant in the management and administration of programs or projects of national or international significance. Provides overall technical insight into the development and management of policies and procedures.
  • Studies and develops planning methods or plans for future community needs to provide for the availability and development of resources, facilities, and services that will be required by the NASA community to meet mission requirements.
  • Performs management planning duties such as concept development, master integration planning, and programming design for programs, considering feasibility, costs, and economics.
  • Initiates studies to prove or disprove design criteria and to find solutions to critical problems in design, construction, production, or operations.
  • Maintains an overview and evaluates policies and planning programs after initial application to update them or to suggest other approaches.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
  • This position may require a one-year probationary period. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. **See Additional Information section**
  • You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
  • Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
  • Selected applicant(s) must be assigned to a duty location listed on the announcement. Selectee(s) will be required to work ON-SITE at the duty location selected.

Qualifications

In addition to the Basic Education Requirement (in the Education section below), to qualify for this position you must meet the requirements below and 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 GS-15, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level:

  • Leading collaborative efforts with a variety of working groups to build consensus on complex community planning topics such as facilities planning, maintenance, real estate, budget, and resource management;
  • Developing and overseeing planning programs that concern facility construction, ensuring short- and long-term organizational goals are achieved;
  • Translating organizational requirements and objectives into strategic plans to make recommendations that have significant long-term impacts on community development.

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 job. NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process.

Education

You must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree.

Basic Requirements

  1. Degree: community planning; or related field such as urban affairs, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, sociology, geography, economics, political science, or public administration that included at least 12 semester hours in the planning process, socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, urban and regional economic analysis, and development finance.
Note: Applicants with degrees in related fields, such as those listed above, who do not have the 12 semester hours of specified course work must have had at least 1 year of work experience in community planning acquired under the supervision and guidance of a community planner.

OR
  1. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in one of the above disciplines, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the above disciplines of which at least 12 semester hours were in the planning process, and socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

U.S. degrees 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/.

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, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement.

Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit.

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 questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility.
-Be well qualified for this position to receive consideration. Candidates rated in the 'Best Qualified' category are considered well-qualified. Please see 'How You Will Be Evaluated' for more information.
-Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in 'Required Documents'

For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap.

Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal governmentwithin the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/.

Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit.

Probationary Period

You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11.

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.

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.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements outlined in this vacancy announcement. Your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed in conjunction with your responses to the assessment questionnaire. As part of the assessment, your responses to the Written Interview prompts will be scored 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. Please ensure your application materials and responses accurately reflect your experience and competencies, as misrepresentation may result in removal from consideration.

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

  • Master Planning
  • Real Property Management
  • Public Planning
  • Partnering
  • Administration and Management
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Oral Communication
  • Decision Making
  • Creative Thinking
NASA considers paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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.
Names of all qualified candidates in the Best Qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which case only those names will be initially certified). Candidates within the Best Qualified category who are eligible for veteran preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: Agency-FCCJ@NASA.gov.

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Agency contact information

NASA Shared Services Center
Phone
1-877-677-2123
Fax
1-866-779-6772
Email
nssc-staffing@mail.nasa.gov
Address
NASA Headquarters
300 E St SW
Washington, DC 20546
US

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