Director, Cargo Landers Office

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Hampton (VA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA's Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate seeks a Director for the Cargo Landers Office to drive lunar cargo delivery capabilities for Artemis and Moon Base development. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team, manage partnerships, and oversee cost, risk, and readiness across cargo landing elements.

The role requires Executive Core Qualifications and mandatory technical qualifications, with evidence in a 2-page resume.

Qualifications

• ECQs and MTQs must be evidenced in your resume.
• Experience leading large, complex programs or organizations.
• Progressive leadership and management responsibilities at senior levels.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership of the Cargo Landers Office to deliver cargo delivery capabilities for Artemis missions and lunar exploration.
• Coordinate with international partners to enable cargo landing capabilities.
• Assist the Moon Base Program Manager with processes, priorities, and program risk management.
• Ensure readiness and integration of cargo landing elements across missions and interfaces.

Skills

ECQs

Program management

Systems integration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or physical sciences

Job description

Summary

Serves as the Director of the Cargo Landers Office for the Moon Base Program within the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate (HSMD). The Cargo Landers Director helps to ensure that Agency and HSMD needs, goals and objectives for lunar surface cargo delivery capability are implemented in a sustainable and affordable manner.

Duties

• Provides leadership of Cargo Landers Office to deliver small- through large-class cargo delivery capabilities for Artemis astronauts and uncrewed robotic capabilities for scientific exploration, Moon Base construction, logistics delivery and removal, and surface site preparation. This includes management of the existing Commercial Lunar Payload Services program as well as creation of new domestic and international partnership arrangements.
• Partners with other international space agencies to deliver cargo landing capabilities in conjunction with US domestic systems supporting overall Moon Base development.
• Assists the Program Manager, Moon Base with the development of Program processes, procedures, and priorities.
• Supports end-to-end cost and risk management of cargo landing assets across the Artemis and Moon Base Campaigns as defined by the Moon Base Program Manager.
• Conducts technical engineering analysis for the Moon Base Program cargo landing elements and advises the Program Manager on associated strategies and actions.
• Ensures all cargo landing elements maintain readiness for deployment, operations, and sustainment in a hazardous, remote environment. Coordinates and implements required interfaces with utilization, payloads, and cargo program elements within the Moon Base Program and across other NASA stakeholders as required.
• Ensures requirements for Moon Base utilization and logistics services are implemented into the Cargo Landing requirements set.
• Represents Cargo Lander considerations in Moon Base pre-formulation and architecture development activities and implements technology development efforts to support future in-space and lunar descent & landing transportation needs.
• Represents the Moon Base Program in Agency, Directorate, Center, Academic and industry discussions, and community relations, providing expert information and advice on the topic of lunar cargo landing.
• Advocates for cargo landing considerations within the Moon Base Program as required at NASA Headquarters, including interactions with Legislative and Executive Branch liaisons and the Office of International and Interagency Affairs.

Requirements

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.
• Initial Senior Executive Service (SES) Career appointee is subject to a one-year probationary period.
• 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.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.

Qualifications

As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment, you must clearly articulate and describe within your 2-page resume that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications MTQ(s) related to this position. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and MTQ(s), you may be disqualified. Any additional pages over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed.

Your resume should include evidence of progressively responsible supervisory, managerial, or professional experience which involved management of a program or organization of significant scope and complexity, normally obtained over several years by serving in positions at the GS-15 level or equivalent.

If you are (1) currently serving under a career SES appointment, (2) eligible for reinstatement into the SES (this means you were previously employed as a Career SES employee and you successfully completed a one-year probationary period), OR (3) have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and certified by OPM, you do not need to address the ECQs in your resume. However, your resume must clearly state that you are a current career SES, eligible for SES reinstatement, or SES CDP certified and year of certification.

Please DO NOT submit separate documents addressing the ECQs or MTQ(s). Only your 2-page resume will be accepted and considered. Any additional documents submitted will not be accepted.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs)

For more information on the ECQs, please visit OPM's ECQ webpage.

ECQ 1 - Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. Competencies: Knowledge of the American System of Government, Commitment to the Rule of Law, and Civic-Mindedness

ECQ 2 - Driving Efficiency: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. Competencies: Fiscal Responsibility, Managing Resources, Leveraging Technology

ECQ 3 - Merit and Competence: This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. Competencies: Technical Skill, Problem Solving, Agility and Resilience

ECQ 4 - Leading People: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. Competencies: Accountability, Developing Others, Executive Judgment

ECQ 5 - Achieving Results: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Competencies: Operational Mindset, Innovation, Strategic Thinking

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (MTQ): Your resume must include accomplishments that address the MTQ(s).

MTQ: Demonstrated experience leading development, integration, and readiness of lunar or planetary cargo landing systems, including managing technical analyses, cost and risk, logistics and utilization requirements, and partnerships that deliver surface cargo capabilities for human and robotic missions. Competencies Program/Project Management and Systems Integration Engineering

Your application package must be in your own words. 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

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.

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 is required.

An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

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.

Additional information

Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.

NASA may discuss and consider candidate duty station location after selection, which means that the duties can be performed at any NASA location. The selected candidate will need to relocate and report to an on-site NASA location or duty station, which may be different from where he/she currently resides.

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.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.