Summary
The Software Engineering Division is seeking highly experienced individuals to serve as an Associate Branch Head (ABH) to the Ground Software Systems Branch (583), Science Data Systems Branch (586), or Science Data Processing Branch (587). As an ABH, you will play a key role in the leadership, management, and development of a diverse group of software engineers working in multiple teams to develop Earth Science, Astrophysics, Planetary Science, and even Human Exploration software products.
This job is open to
- Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of this agency.
Clarification from the agency
Current Goddard Space Flight Center federal employees serving on a career, career-conditional, Schedule A for individuals with disabilities, or NASA term appointment that provides eligibility to convert to a permanent appointment or a current NASA employee on a long-term rotational assignment to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center or the NASA Safety Center.
**CLOSING DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 9/25/23**
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Duties
- Assist in maintaining technical and administrative oversight of the Branch and conduct periodic reviews of the core capability of the organization.
- Make recommendations and provides insight to the Branch Head concerning programs, operations, problem areas and capabilities.
- Support organizational and workforce initiatives.
- Provide opportunities for and encourages individual development through coaching, mentoring, detail assignments and formal training.
- Develop, direct, or manage software systems development activities in a broad scope of technologies with national and international impacts.
- Plan, guide, coordinate, and manage the work of subordinate, secondary, and related resources to accomplish the mission and functions of the organization.
- Promote and lead an inclusive work environment in which employees are valued/respected for individual and cultural difference, and their talents are fully utilized.
- Oversee engineering program/project activities, such as, resources, schedule, budget and technical objectives.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Current Federal employees must meet qualifications, time in grade, and 90 days after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
- If selected, you will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement.
- A one-year supervisory probationary period may be required.
Qualifications
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement (in the Education section below), to qualify for this position you must meet the requirements below and have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above.
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-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level:
- Developing software solutions for flight, in-situ, and/or ground systems;
- Designing and developing engineering products for flight, in-situ and/or ground systems and;
- Developing project budgets, schedules, and plans for flight and/or ground systems.
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 are a current federal employee, 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.
- 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.
Review our 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.
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:
- Computer Systems and Engineering
- Data Systems and Technology
- Flight and Ground Data Systems
- Planning and Evaluating
- Program/Project Analysis
- Software Development
- Software Engineering
- Technical Competence
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 three groups identified and defined below:
- Best Qualified Group – Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
- Highly Qualified Group – Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the 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. Highly Qualified merit promotion candidates may also be referred, if additional candidates are needed.
- 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.
- 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.
Review our 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.
- Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.
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
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
For transcripts the following documents are acceptable:
- An unofficial transcript
- A copy of an official transcript
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 (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.
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.
- How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the “Apply” link.
2. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. During the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
3. 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 vacancy questionnaire 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.
4. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
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
1-877-677-2123
Fax
1-866-779-6772
Email
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/.
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.
- Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
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
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
For transcripts the following documents are acceptable:
- An unofficial transcript
- A copy of an official transcript
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 (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.
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.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the “Apply” link.
2. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. During the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
3. 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 vacancy questionnaire 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.
4. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
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
1-877-677-2123
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/.
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.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request