Lead Engineering Technician

NASA; Tustin (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA Ames Research Center seeks a Lead Engineering Technician to provide technical leadership for fabrication and production of hardware in the Applied Manufacturing Division. You will advise engineers on manufacturability and guide technicians in fabricating complex aerospace systems to meet mission requirements.

You will coordinate with branch leadership and researchers, support development of prototype flight articles and instrumentation, and mentor engineering technicians to ensure quality

Qualifications

Responsibilities

• Supports the planning and execution of manufacturing and production activities for flight hardware, ground support equipment, assemblies, and components.
• Provides technical guidance and recommendations to manufacturers, engineers, management, related organizations, and contractor personnel regarding design, fabrication, and testing.
• Provides technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to engineering technicians supporting the fabrication and production of aerospace and facility hardware.
• Coordinates with branch leadership, engineers, scientists, and research teams to establish work priorities and support project and mission requirements.
• Works directly with aerospace engineers and scientists in the design, development, fabrication, and manufacture of complex aerospace projects.
• Supports the development and manufacture of prototype research flight articles, developmental instrumentation, aerospace models, and related equipment.

Job description

Summary

As a Lead Engineering Technician, you will provide technical leadership for the fabrication and production of hardware within the Applied Manufacturing Division (Code RM) at Ames Research Center. You will support the development of experimental hardware by advising engineers and project teams on manufacturability, and guide engineering technicians to execute the fabrication of complex aerospace systems with mission requirements.

Major Duties

• Supports the planning and execution of manufacturing and production activities for flight hardware, ground support equipment, assemblies, and components.
• Provides technical guidance and recommendations to manufacturers, engineers, management, related organizations, and contractor personnel regarding design, fabrication, and testing.
• Provides technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to engineering technicians supporting the fabrication and production of aerospace and facility hardware.
• Coordinates with branch leadership, engineers, scientists, and research teams to establish work priorities and support project and mission requirements.
• Works directly with aerospace engineers and scientists in the design, development, fabrication, and manufacture of complex aerospace projects.
• Supports the development and manufacture of prototype research flight articles, developmental instrumentation, aerospace models, and related equipment.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements outlined in this vacancy announcement. Your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed in conjunction with your responses to the assessment questionnaire. As part of the assessment, your responses will be scored and used to place you into one of two quality groups. These scores, along with your qualifications and supporting materials, will determine your referral status. Please ensure your application materials and responses accurately reflect your experience and competencies, as misrepresentation may result in removal from consideration. These competencies will be assessed using technical assessments. They may also be evaluated during a structured interview: Attention to Detail, Creative Thinking, Engineering and Science Support, General Engineering, Interpersonal Skills, Mechanics, Problem Solving, Technology Application, Test Engineering. To preview the application questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13073192 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 two groups identified and defined below: Best Qualified Group - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all 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. 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: [e-mail].

What to Expect Next

Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. Throughout the process you will receive regular status updates through USAJOBS. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (Account Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: Application Status. If you are found qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the hiring manager. If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing a scheduled appointment, we may rescind a tentative job offer. An official, written job offer will be issued once all requirements have been verified.

Required Documents

All submitted resumes must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Resumes longer than two pages will be rejected by USAJOBS.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize including experience and relevant qualifications that directly align with the position advertised. All work experience and accomplishments must be associated with dates (month/year) to allow for accurate qualification assessment. A complete application package includes a resume, required documents and completion of the vacancy announcement questionnaire. Please see this guidance: What to include in your resume.

Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire. Please note: if any of the following types of information are included on your resume, your application package will be disqualified: Classified or government sensitive information. Social Security Number (SSN) Photos of yourself Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents.

If your resume contains any of the above information, you must redact that information prior to the submission of your application.

The following documents are required: Resume SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action. You may need to submit other supporting documents (Notification of Personnel Action SF-50, licenses, certification, veterans preference, etc.), depending on your answers to the questionnaire and job announcement description, that you may have to submit, please verify your application. Do not submit an OF-306 with your application. If you are a surplus or displaced employee (CTAP and ICTAP), submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP. This includes copies of your agency notice, most recent Performance Rating and most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location.

If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For more information on veterans' preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit FedshireVets. Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.

Other 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. 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. Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit.