Launch Vehicle Mission Assurance Engineer

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Florida; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida seeks a Safety and Mission Assurance Engineer in the SMA Directorate. You will conduct technical assessments on launch vehicles and related systems, advising stakeholders on safety and quality aspects of launch vehicle hardware and ground support equipment for multiple programs.

You will mentor engineers, review plans and manufacturing processes, and communicate complex issues to leadership, ensuring conformance to requirements and managing residual risk

Qualifications

• Specialized experience performing mission assurance activities for launch vehicle hardware.
• Ability to communicate technical content to varied audiences and leadership.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams on aerospace programs.

Responsibilities

• Conduct cross-disciplinary mission assurance assessments on launch vehicles/ground systems.
• Provide expert technical and programmatic advice to KSC and agency stakeholders.
• Mentor and guide new engineers on aerospace concepts and SMA processes.
• Review plans, specifications, and manufacturing processes for technical adequacy.
• Present complex issues clearly to leadership and stakeholders.

Skills

Technical evaluations

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical briefings

Education

ABET-accredited engineering program

Engineering or related field

Job description

Summary Serves as a Safety and Mission Assurance Engineer in the SMA Directorate at Kennedy Space Center. Responsible for conducting technical assessments on all aspects of the launch vehicles & associated systems, including safety and quality related launch vehicle products. The work involves advising on, coordinating, assessing and/or performing duties concerned with mission assurance activities relating to launch vehicle hardware and related ground support equipment for multiple programs.

Duties

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• Responsible for conducting technical cross disciplinary mission assurance assessments on launch vehicles and/or Ground Systems.
• Provide expert technical and programmatic advice to KSC and Agency stakeholders, ensuring issues and concerns are properly assessed across organizational boundaries and that the appropriate level of residual risk is identified and evaluated.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to new and less experienced engineers on topics such as aerospace engineering concepts, launch vehicle systems, launch vehicle and spacecraft processing, SMA processes and principles.
• Review plans, specifications, and manufacturing processes for technical adequacy; report progress and problems; resolve complex issues; ensure conformance to requirements; and provide assistance when deficiencies are identified.
• Present and communicate complex technical issues with diverse audiences across all levels of leadership.

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/trial 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.

Qualifications In addition to the Basic Education Requirement (in the Education section below), to qualify for this position you must meet the requirements below. 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.

NASA utilizes OPM-approved qualification and rating requirements specific for Aerospace Technology (AST) positions which recognizes NASA’s unique aerospace work. The specific qualifications and minimum education requirements are further described below and within the education section of the job announcement.

To qualify for the GS-14 , you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level:

• Performing or leading technical evaluations of launch vehicle and/or spacecraft flight or ground support hardware;
• Communicating technical content through oral briefings and written reports to large audiences of varied technical backgrounds and/or senior management;
• Collaborating effectively with or leading cross-functional teams to support successful delivery of project goals and requirements on schedule.

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.

Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA’s guidance on the use of artificial intelligent (AI) or AI-assisted tools during the application process.

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:

• Engineering from a college or university that has ABET accredited engineering programs
• Physical Science, Mathematics, Life Science or other field of Science
• 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.

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. For purposes of Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) selection priority, well-qualified is defined as possessing knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position, as determined through SME review of the resume/application. If you have special priority selection rights under ICTAP, you must:

• Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position.
• Exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position.
• Submit proof that you meet the requirements for 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.

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