Aerospace Engineer, AST, Flight Systems Engineer (Direct Hire) - Ames Research Center

Summary This position is within the Mission Design Center Technical Area of the Spaceflight Division within the Engineering Directorate at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. You will serve as a systems engineer leading a multidisciplinary team that supports the design, analysis, and development of mission concepts and technology demonstration activities using multiple, simultaneous design engineering methodologies. Responsibilities Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee. Manage and integrate stakeholder goals and objectives to define feasible mission concept designs utilizing the concept maturity level (CML) framework. Identify key mission design drivers based upon science traceability matrix or similar mission objectives-based framework. Identify and establish architectures, trade studies, analysis techniques, and methodologies necessary to integrate components, assemblies, subsystems, and systems to achieve design convergence. Generate mission requirements from concept goals and objectives and utilize key driving assumptions to facilitate rapid convergence on various mission scenarios. Lead sensitivity analysis, trajectory analysis, flight system configuration, block diagram approaches, and interface analysis to define launch system, flight system, data system, and ground system mission segments. Perform risk analysis to assess key technical and programmatic risks for mission concept teams. Develop and oversee the generation of technical budgets including master equipment lists, delta V, power, communication, and data system designs. Provide technical leadership utilizing systems engineering best practices and utilize project management approaches to assess mission resources and high level schedules. Foster a culture of engagement, diversity, inclusiveness, excellence and innovation. Champion NASA's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility to create an environment that promotes a commitment to safety, integrity, and teamwork. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level: Performing mission design and analysis in one or more of the areas of orbital trajectory designs, spacecraft subsystem analysis, mission requirements development, trade studies, or mission operations; Performing systems engineering processes within a flight systems project or program; Monitoring work either externally or on-site. To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: Providing technical guidance and/or leadership to engineers performing mission systems engineering including one or more of the areas of managing a mission concept development team, performing feasibility assessments, coordinating trade studies, presenting risk assessments, and producing accurate, cohesive and high quality technical reports; Interfacing with diverse sets of stakeholders including scientists from varied fields, technical managers, cost analysts, and Directors of various operational and mission related organizations, both internal and external to NASA; Developing or overseeing the generation of technical budgets. 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. NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process. Education 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. Degrees in engineering technology are not considered qualifying for 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. This appointment may be extended beyond the initial appointment date, for a period not to exceed a total of 10-years. Current Federal civilian employees may apply for this position. If selected, a break in service of at least 4 calendar days may be required prior to appointment to this position. 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. - Meet the minimum qualifications requirements for the position - 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 This is a bargaining unit position. If additional selections are made, those positions may or may not be in a bargaining unit. To learn more about bargaining units at NASA please click here NASA Unions (Bargaining Units) | NASA.