Physician (Direct Hire)

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA Johnson Space Center seeks an experienced undersea and hyperbaric medicine physician to serve within the Space and Occupational Medicine Branch supporting health and medical care of astronauts and other personnel in support of existing and future human spaceflight programs.

Responsibilities include leading health support in altered pressure environments, developing risk assessments and medical standards, and training astronauts and flight crews, while collaborating with engineers,

Qualifications

• MD or DO degree from US/Canada; licensed to practice in the US.
• Board-certified or eligible in Aerospace Medicine and/or Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine.
• Active/unrestricted medical license in the United States.
• Experience in aerospace and/or undersea hyperbaric medicine.
• Ability to undergo background investigation and clearance as required.
• DEA certificate for controlled substances.

Responsibilities

• Serve as SME on health and performance in altered pressure environments for spaceflight programs.
• Define risk assessments and standards for safe crew health.
• Support test team operations and health care at NASA facilities in hyperbaric environments.
• Provide expertise to research programs and astronaut health projects.
• Attend preside over committees and brief stakeholders; train astronauts and flight crews.

Skills

Aerospace Medicine

Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine

Clinical Care

Crew Health Monitoring

Education

Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Board-certified in Aerospace Medicine and/or Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine

Tools

DEA certificate for controlled substances

Job description

Summary

NASA Johnson Space Center seeks an experienced undersea and hyperbaric medicine physician to serve within the Space and Occupational Medicine Branch supporting health and medical care of astronauts and other personnel in support of existing and future human spaceflight programs.

Duties

• Serve as a subject matter expert on various aspects of human health and performance in altered pressure environments for existing and future human spaceflight programs.
• Provide expertise in support of human systems approach to evaluation/integration of evidence from space medicine, research, operations, and engineering to define risk assessments and human standards requirements to safely sustain crews.
• Serve as a health professional, supporting test team operations at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and other NASA chamber facilities, including monitoring hazardous tests in altered pressure environments.
• Provide expertise to human test and research programs, including human exposures to hyperbaric and hypobaric environments, and medical and exercise projects promoting astronaut health.
• Attend and preside over various committees and meetings involving the JSC Clinic Medical Staff.
• Provide clear, internally consistent communication with Human Spaceflight Program customers and stakeholders.
• Provide training for astronauts, flight crews, flight surgeons and aerospace medicine residents in areas of expertise as required.
• Contribute to or lead health and medical support and clinical care for NASA astronauts and human test activity participants, including treatments inside the hyperbaric chamber.

Requirements

• 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 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.
• Must have an active/current License and/or Certification: Active/Unrestricted Medical License.
• To be considered for employment, you must submit your complete application by 11:59 PM ET on October 26, 2026.

Qualifications

You must meet all three requirements listed below; unless you are covered by an exception:

• The mandatory Basic Requirement shown in the Education section below;
• Experience and/or directly related education, as shown below, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position; and
• Certification/Training requirements.

For the GS-15 level:

• 5 years of graduate training in the specialty of the position to be filled; OR
• A combination of experience and training equivalent to at least 5 years of graduate training in the medical specialty required for this position.

Preferred Experience:

• 5 years or more of experience in Aerospace Medicine and/or Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine

AND Graduate Training:

• An internship program involves broadly based clinical practice in which physicians acquire experience in treating a variety of medical problems under supervision (e.g., internal medicine, surgery, general practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics). Such programs are in hospitals or other institutions accredited for internship training by a recognized body of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
• A residency program involves training in a specialized field of medicine in a hospital or an institution accredited for training in the specialty by a recognized body of the American Medical Association, (AMA) or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
• A fellowship program involves advanced training (beyond residency training) in a given medical specialty in either a clinical or research setting in a hospital or an institution accredited in the United States for such training.

Required Selective Factor:

• Certification:
• Board-certification or eligibility in Aerospace Medicine and/or Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificate for controlled substances at the Federal level

• Licensure:
• For all grade levels and positions, applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

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.

Education

Basic Requirement

You must have successfully completed a degree in Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or equivalent from a school in the United States or Canada. This degree must have been accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association; Association of American Medical Colleges; Liaison Committee on Medical Education; Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

OR

Degree from Foreign Medical School: A Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree from a foreign medical school must provide education and medical knowledge equivalent to accredited schools in the United States. Evidence of equivalency to accredited schools in the United States is demonstrated by permanent certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a fifth pathway certificate for Americans who completed premedical education in the United States and graduate education in a foreign country, or successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.

U.S. 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/.

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

This position may offer physicians' comparability allowance (PCA) and a service agreement will be required. PCA allows up to $14,000 annually to a physician with 24 months or less of service or PCA up to $30,000 annually to a physician with more than 24 months of service. 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."

Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal government within 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, (the link removed).

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;
• 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.

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.