Aerospace Engineer, AST, Research Pilot (Direct Hire)

NASA; Edwards Air Force Base (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center is seeking a highly skilled Research Pilot to support aeronautics flight research and Earth science missions. The role involves conducting experimental tests, flying a range of aircraft, and contributing to mission success with emphasis on safety and data quality.

You will collaborate with engineers and project teams to plan missions, operate aircraft with science payloads, and maintain proficiency across multiple platforms while managing in-flight

Qualifications

• Experience as a test pilot or similar role in aeronautics research.
• Strong understanding of flight operations, safety, and mission data quality.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a Research Pilot in the Flight Operations Branch to execute aeronautics and airborne science missions.
• Collaborate with engineers and project teams to plan and execute flight research.
• Operate aircraft with scientific payloads and special instrumentation while ensuring safety and data quality.
• Maintain proficiency across multiple aircraft and manage in-flight emergencies.

Skills

Aviation experience

Test pilot

Instrument flying

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physical Science, Mathematics, Life Science or Computer Science

Job description

Summary

The Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is seeking a highly skilled and innovative Research Pilot to support aeronautics flight research and Earth science missions. The incumbent will conduct experimental and developmental flight tests, support complex airborne science operations, and contribute to NASA's mission to advance aerospace technology and scientific discovery flying a wide range of aircraft to include upcoming flight research on Boeing 737 and 777 aircraft.

Major Duties

Serve as a Research Pilot in the Flight Operations Branch, which is responsible for the execution of multiple aeronautics and airborne science research projects.Collaborate with engineers, project managers, and technical teams to plan and execute flight research missions and assist in the accomplishment of mission objectives by active participation as a test pilot.Operate aircraft carrying scientific payloads, remote sensing systems, and specialized research instrumentation while ensuring mission safety and data quality.Work closely with Airborne Science project scientists to understand data requirements, optimize flight lines, and adjust real time mission profiles.Maintain proficiency in multiple aircraft and demonstrates expertise in handling all types of in-flight and on-ground emergencies.

Education

This position requires education or exceptional experience. Basic Education Requirement: You must have successfully completed a bachelor's degree with a major in one of the following: a) Engineering from a college or university that has ABET accredited engineering programs b) Physical Science, Mathematics, Life Science or other field of Science c) Computer Science that included 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of course work in any combination of mathematics, statistics and computer science with at least half of those hours in mathematics and statistics courses that included differential and integral calculus; and that provided an in-depth knowledge of theoretical and practical applications of computer science, including digital computer system architecture and system software organization, the representation and transformation of information structures, and the theoretical models for such representations and transformations. If you did not complete a qualifying bachelor's degree, you may be eligible if you have obtained a graduate degree in an AST qualifying field, as listed above. Applicants who do not fully meet the basic education requirement may still be considered if they possess exceptional relevant experience, or a combination of education and experience, that clearly demonstrates significant full performance-level achievement directly related to the duties of this position. Engineering degrees earned within the United States: Engineering degrees earned within the United States must be from a college or university that has at least one ABET accredited engineering program. To find out if a school has at least one ABET accredited program, please visit http://www.abet.org. Engineering degrees earned outside the United States: Engineering degrees earned outside the United States must be recognized by a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), often known as accords. These are non-governmental agreements among organizations that accredit academic degree programs. MRAs recognize the substantial equivalence of mature accreditation systems and programs accredited by signatory organizations within their jurisdictions. For a listing of Signatories, please visit, https://www.abet.org/global-presence/mutual-recognition-agreements/is-your-program-recognized/. Science and other related degrees earned within the United States: Science and other related 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/. Science and other related degrees earned outside the United States: 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.

Evaluations

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