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Physician (Direct Hire)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters, NASA

Summary

As Senior Medical Technical Advisor, you will exercise Health and Medical Technical Authority (HMTA) to oversee NASA aerospace medicine programs. You will collaborate closely with the Occupational Health team, establish medical standards for flight personnel, and authorize clinical waivers. As a recognized medical expert, you will advise senior leadership on physiological risks to ensure crew safety during Artemis, Moon Base, space nuclear operations and future missions.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$149,045 - $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
Promotion potential
15
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
HQ-26-DE-13037368-DL
Control number
880644800

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Duties

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  • Serves as Senior Medical Technical Advisor, advising Health and Medical Technical Authority (HMTA) for aerospace and occupational medicine.
  • Creates, manages, and updates medical standards for flight personnel, determining recommendations and approvals for clinical waivers.
  • Integrates Health and Medical Technical Authority (HMTA) expertise with Occupational Health (OH) operations by collaborating and providing specialized medical advisory support on shared goals.
  • Advises senior NASA leadership on complex health risks for Artemis, Moon Base operations, and space nuclear technology missions.
  • Develops and implements clinical health program policies, ensuring alignment with federal regulations and NASA mission objectives.
  • Conducts clinical reviews and operational research to develop preventive healthcare protocols for extreme space environments.
  • Serves as an aerospace medicine advisor for Agency mishap investigation boards regarding environmental or health accidents.
  • Provides medical, toxicological, and epidemiological consultation to support Agency-wide safety and health investigations.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Must have an active/current License and/or Certification: Active/Unrestricted State Medical License.

Qualifications

You must meet all three requirements listed below; unless you are covered by an exception:
1. The mandatory Basic Requirement shown in the Educationsection below;
2. Specialized experience and/or directly related education, as shown below, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position; and
3. Certification/Training requirements.

For the GS-15 level:

5 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled or equivalent experience and training.

AND

Graduate Training:


Subsequent to obtaining a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a candidate must have had at least 1 year of supervised experience providing direct service in a clinical setting, i.e., a 1-year internship or the first year of a residency program in a hospital or an institution accredited for such training.

Graduate training programs include only those internship, residency, and fellowship programs that are approved by accrediting bodies recognized within the United States or Canada. Descriptions of such programs are described below.

  • An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
  • A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association, (AMA) or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
  • A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training.

Required Selective Factor:
You must also meet the following requirements to be considered for this position:

A. Certification:
Include board-certification or eligibility in Occupational Medicine, Aerospace Medicine, Preventive Medicine and/or Internal Medicine; and implementing state and federal safety regulations, policies and procedures required for this position.

AND

B. Licensure:

For all grade levels and positions, applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States

Preferred Experience:
  • 5 years or more experience leading, managing, or directing clinical programs and advising senior executives on complex occupational health and safety risks
  • 5 years or more experience evaluating clinical data to establish medical standards, authorize flight/duty waivers, or implement preventive medicine protocols for high-risk personnel
  • 5 years or more experience in aerospace medicine to exercise medical or technical authority in developing, evaluating, and implementing clinical health policies for extreme or aerospace environments

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.

Education

Basic Requirement:

You must have successfully completed a degree in Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada. This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association; Association of American Medical Colleges; Liaison Committee on Medical Education; Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

OR

Degree from Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States. Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

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://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

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.

This position may offer physicians' comparability allowance (PCA) and a service agreement will be required. PCA allows up to $14,000 annually to a physician with 24 months or less of service or PCA up to $30,000 annually to a physician with more than 24 months of service.



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.
  • Meet the minimum qualifications requirements for the position
  • 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.

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans' preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information please see: Veterans' Preference information on the FedsHireVets website.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or assessment questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Decision Making
  • Occupational Medicine
  • Problem Solving
To preview the application questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13037368

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.

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.

Headquarters, NASA

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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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