As a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) research aerospace engineer in the Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion Branch at NASA Langley Research Center you will be working to develop and/or apply computational methods and tools to numerically simulate the flow in high-speed propulsive flowpaths and around hypersonic vehicles. You will be part of a research team advancing technologies for hypersonic air-breathing engines and vehicles.

Duties

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. Apply CFD and numerical tools to simulate and analyze the performance and operability of high-speed air-breathing propulsive components, estimate numerical uncertainties, and apply optimization methods to improve performance. Conduct research to understand the fundamental physics associated with air-breathing propulsive components, flowpaths and ground test facilities and use CFD to design and evaluate new components, flowpaths and test facility hardware. Use programming skills to add new models and new capabilities into CFD and utility codes. These codes will be used in a parallel processing environment and new features may require extensive changes to the code to implement. Develop new algorithms, methods, and solution approaches to reduce the time it takes CFD practitioner to go from an initial concept to a final solution. Implement, verify and validate CFD software utilizing unit testing, benchmark cases, analytical solutions, and/or method of manufactured solutions to ensure accurate simulation results. Utilize industry standard software tools (build systems, continuous integration, version control, and performance profiling) to aid in the development of CFD simulation tools for high performance computing (HPC) environments. Serve as a technical monitor on grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIRs) and other contractual mechanisms with university and industry partners. Prepare technical reports, research papers, and presentations to communicate simulation results in a clear and concise manner. 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

• This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• Position subject to pre-employment background security investigation.
• Start dates will be set after all requirements have been met and verified.
• This position may require a one-year trial 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, your scientific impact will be examined in addition to other factors, to determine if you are eligible for promotion. To qualify for GS-11, you must have: a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level: Generating high-quality grids for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations; Applying CFD codes to generate high quality numerical solutions, identifying flow structures and understanding the flow physics of the solution; Using CFD visualization software to examine the flow solution and post processing CFD data to extract quantities of interest. OR b) Completed all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field OR c) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a) and b) above OR d) Expect to complete the education degree requirements for this grade level by September 1, 2024. To qualify for GS-12, you must have: a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level: Generating high-quality Computational Fluid Dynamics solutions on a compute cluster and post processing the data, evaluating solution accuracy and uncertainties; Applying optimization methods to improve a design or operating conditions; Developing and/or modifying software using a compiled computer language (e.g. Fortran, C++) for parallel processing. OR b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field. OR c) Expect to complete the education degree requirement for this grade level by September 1, 2024. To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level: Applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods to numerically simulate flowfields on a compute cluster, quantifying uncertainties, and optimizing aspects of a design; Discretizing the equations governing fluid flow (e.g. Euler, Navier-Stokes) and applying different solution approaches in a CFD code to solve the equations; Developing CFD software in Fortran or C++ to run on compute clusters using Message Passing Interface (MPI) software, and applying industry-standard software-development tools (e.g. git, cmake) and practices when developing software (e.g. unit testing). 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. Required college majors for applicants qualifying on the basis of graduate education only (GS-11 and GS-12 research): Propulsion: Aeronautical Engineering, Aeronautics, Aerospace Engineering, Astronautics, Chemistry, Applied Mechanics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Physics, Physics, Applied Physics, Engineering Physics. Other majors will qualify if the major includes or is supplemented as follows: Electronics Engineering, Applied Mathematics (or other field), if the major includes or is supplemented by one course in thermodynamics, nuclear physics, rocket propulsion fundamentals, gas dynamics or modem or molecular physics; Astronautical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Pure Mathematics (or other related field), if includes or is supplemented by nine semester hours (or the equivalent) in physics, thermodynamics, chemistry or closely related fields.

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.

Contacts

• Address Langley Research Center 1 NASA Dr Hampton, VA 23666 US
• Name: NASA Shared Services Contact Center
• Phone: 1-877-677-2123
• Email: [email protected]