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Equipment Specialist

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Armstrong Flight Research Center
This job announcement has closed

Resumes limited to two pages

Summary

As the Flight Loads Operations Manager, you will oversee hazardous operations/testing in the Flight Loads Lab. You will manage high-energy systems (heating, electrical, hydraulic, and pressure systems), ensuring personnel, test article, and equipment safety. As liaison among the Aerostructures Branch, Chief Test Engineer, and technical staff, you will prioritize and schedule work, review test plans, direct hazardous operations, and work with teams to address safety and efficiency.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/12/2024 to 11/18/2024
Salary
$101,121 to - $156,323 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Armstrong Flight Research Ctr
Edwards AFB, CA
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
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
AFRC-25-IMP-12603391-CC
Control number
818239500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Armstrong Flight Research Center federal employee serving on a career, career-conditional, VRA, Schedule A for individuals with disabilities, or NASA term appointment that provides eligibility to convert to a permanent appointment or a current NASA employee on a long-term rotational assignment to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center or the NASA Safety Center.

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Duties

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  • Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
  • Reviews and signs off on Operational Procedures, Equipment Instructions, Configuration Change Requests, Discrepancy Reports, and System Test Reports (AFOPs, AFEIs, CCRs, DRs, and STRs), including work orders and building modifications.
  • Writes and reviews critical lift plans, checklists, test plans, and hazard analyses for load, thermal, Ground Vibration Test (GVT), and combination tests.
  • Conducts various testing operations, including weight and balance, load frame tests, lamp checks, and annual working load checks.
  • Manages Flight Loads Lab (FLL) space, equipment maintenance, repairs, and time estimation for task completion.
  • Oversees data review for Data Acquisition System (DAS), loading, and thermal systems for performance and troubleshooting.
  • Collaborates with safety, quality assurance (QA), and other departments, preparing for audits and addressing safety findings.
  • Trains team members on safety, lift operations, rigging, and equipment operation.
  • Fosters a culture of engagement, diversity, inclusiveness, excellence and innovation. Champion NASA's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility to create an environment that promotes a commitment to safety, integrity, and teamwork.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Current Federal employees must meet qualifications, time in grade, and 90 days after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  • If selected, you will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement.
  • If selected, this position required completion of a heavy equipment operator physical.
  • Position subject to pre-employment background security investigation.

Qualifications

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.


To qualify for GS-12, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level:

  • Interpreting and applying shop safety protocols such as awareness of electrical safety, fall protection, cryogenic handling, pressure vessel safety, hazardous materials, and LASER safety practices;
  • Assisting with testing equipment and systems, such as data acquisition or hydraulic control systems, thermal control systems, and load frames, with the ability to reference blueprints and follow basic calibration procedures;
  • Assisting with work related to aircraft operations, tool control, hangar safety, grounding, and quality assurance.

To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level:
  • Implementing shop safety protocols, including electrical safety (arc flash), fall protection, cryogenic handling, pressure vessel safety, hazardous materials management, and LASER safety;
  • Utilizing equipment and systems such as Data Acquisition System (Pacific Instruments), Hydraulic control system (Moog systems), thermal control systems, hydraulic pumps, load frames, and related testing equipment, including the ability to read blueprints, configure strain gauges, and operate calibration tools;
  • Participating in work related to aircraft operations, tool control, hangar safety, grounding protocols, explosive safety, quality assurance processes, and managing secure facilities with classified and unclassified security requirements.

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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

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.

If you are a current federal employee, you must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible for this position. To be eligible, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in a position no more than 1 grade lower than the advertised position. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible.)
Note: Time-in-grade requirements also apply to applicants who have held a non-temporary, competitive service GS position in the past year.


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.

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

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 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 vacancy questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Facilities Operations and Maintenance
  • Technology Application
  • Technical Competence
  • Problem Solving
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Decision Making
  • Written Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Interpersonal Skills

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 quality grouping process, applicants will be assessed on the position competencies and placed in one of three groups identified and defined below:
  • Best Qualified Group - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
  • Highly Qualified Group - Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
  • Qualified Group - Applicants who demonstrate the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Candidates eligible for ICTAP/CTAP, reemployment priority or priority consideration will be referred before other candidates, as necessary. If no such candidates apply or are eligible to be referred, the following candidates will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration:
  • Best Qualified merit promotion candidates. Highly Qualified merit promotion candidates may also be referred, if additional candidates are needed.
  • Qualified candidates eligible for consideration under Schedule A or VRA in accordance with veterans' preference rules, as applicable.
  • Qualified candidates that are eligible for special hiring authorities or non-competitive hiring authorities.
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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