Overview
- Accepting applications
- Open & closing dates: 06/16/2023 to 06/30/2023
- Salary: $112,015 – $183,500 per year
- Pay scale & grade: GS 13 – 15
- Location: 1 vacancy in the following location:
- Remote job: No
- Telework eligible: Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
- Travel Required: Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.
- Relocation expenses reimbursed: Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
- Appointment type: Permanent –
- Work schedule: Full-time –
- Service: Competitive
- Promotion potential: 15
- Job family (Series): 1301 General Physical Science
- Supervisory status: No
- Security clearance: Not Required
- Drug test: No
- Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
- Trust determination process: Suitability/Fitness
- Announcement number: GSFC-23-DE-11856730-CB
- Control number: 731894500
Summary
You will serve as a physical scientist in the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory in the Earth Sciences Division. You will be developing and leading research on the optimal use of hydrologic remote sensing data, land surface modeling systems and/or Land Data Assimilation systems for applications within water resources including water and food security. You will interface with government organizations and agencies to advance the use of these systems in hydrological research and applications.
This job is open to
Duties
- Duties described below are at the full-performance level. Duties assigned at a lower grade level will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
- Document important research findings and system developments through technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at relevant workshops and conferences.
- Execute all stages of research projects supporting the overall objectives of NASA’s Earth Science Division and its partners to support the long-term success of NASA missions.
- Provide technical leadership in the development, interpretation, and/or use of hydrologic remote sensing data, land surface modeling systems, and/or Land Data Assimilation systems.
- Lead technical efforts to explore the optimal use of remote sensing data within land surface modeling systems and/or Land Data Assimilation systems and their potential application to water and/or food security through a variety of methods.
- Provide scientific and program leadership and participation with collaborating scientists within the organization and among the wider community.
- Interface with other government organizations and agencies to advance development and use of hydrologic remote sensing data, land surface modeling systems and/or Land Data Assimilation systems.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S
- Position subject to pre-employment background investigation
- You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement
- This position may require a one year probationary period.
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.
Vacant research positions may be filled at one of several grade levels depending upon the scientific impact of the person selected. A review may be required to determine the appropriate grade level of the position and supplemental materials may be required from the selectee. Please keep this in mind when indicating the lowest grade you will accept. If selected at the lower grade level, the scientific impact of the incumbent will be examined in addition to other factors, to determine if the person is eligible for promotion.
To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the federal sector:
- Participating on teams or projects to conduct research and use of hydrologic remote sensing data, land surface modeling systems, and/or Land Data Assimilation systems;
- Utilizing Earth science remote sensing data to understand and characterize the interactions among the elements of the Earth System;
- Collaborating on peer reviewed scientific articles and evidence of collaborating on funded earth science proposals.
To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the federal sector:
- Providing technical guidance on and performing research on projects related to hydrologic and satellite remote sensing, land surface modeling systems, Land Data Assimilation systems or similar;
- Collaborating with scientist to research hydrologic remote sensing data to characterize the interactions among the elements of the Earth System in general, and the hydrosphere in particular;
- Writing peer reviewed scientific articles, earth science research proposals and serving as principal investigator on scientific proposals.
To qualify for GS-15, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the federal sector:
- Providing oversight on peer reviewed scientific articles and funded earth science proposals including serving as a principal investigator on scientific proposals;
- Publishing as lead author in the field through international recognition for peer-reviewed research on satellite remote sensing, land surface modeling systems, and/or Land Data Assimilation systems;
- Leading and/or overseeing projects or teams to collaborate with stakeholders and partners across organizational boundaries to develop novel methodologies and studies on hydrologic remote sensing data, land surface modeling systems OR providing general oversight and guidance on Land Data Assimilation systems to characterize the interactions among the elements of the Earth System in general, and the hydrosphere in particular.
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 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.
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://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
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.
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.
Benefits
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management’s Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans’ preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.
Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans’ preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans’ preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information please see: Veterans’ Preference information on the FedsHireVets website.
You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
You will be assessed on the following competencies:
- Research
- Technical Competence
- Remote Sensing Technologies
- Hydrology
- Decision Making
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.
Required Documents
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. If you are using a Curriculum Vitae (CV) as a resume, it must meet all requirements listed above for a complete resume package. 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
- Transcript
While a transcript is the preferred proof of qualifying education, you may submit any of the following items:
- An unofficial transcript
- A copy of an official transcript
- A copy of a degree (i.e., a picture or scan)
- A list of completed/credited courses that includes, the title, course code, and number of semester, quarter or classroom hours for each course (i.e., BUAD- 101-Introduction to Business, 3 Semester hours)
You will lose consideration if you do not submit proof of your education. Documents must fully support the education requirements listed above. Incomplete documents or documents that do not show completion of required degree program or coursework may result in disqualification.
There may be other supporting documents (licenses, certification, veterans preference, etc.), depending on your answers to the questionnaire and job announcement description, that you may need to submit.
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.
Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.
How to Apply
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin the application process, click on the ‘Apply’ link. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the “Include Personal Information” section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify all required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
If you have questions about this announcement, you may contact the agency toll free at the phone number located below. Be advised – application materials faxed, emailed, and/or mailed to Goddard Space Flight Center will not be accepted for this announcement.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
Agency contact information
NASA Shared Services Contact Center
Phone
Fax
1-866-779-6772
nssc-contactcenter@mail.nasa.gov
Address
Goddard Space Flight Center
8800 Greenbelt Rd
Greenbelt, MD 20771
US
Next steps
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 (https://my.usajobs.gov/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: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
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.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
