You will serve as a Test Engineer in the Structural Dynamics Branch at NASA Langley Research Center. In this role, you will be responsible for conceiving of, planning, and executing full scale dynamic impact tests of aircraft and spacecraft at the historic gantry. Test engineers interpret customer requirements for impact conditions and devise unique tests, rigging arrangements, and ground support equipment, ensuring that tests are carried out safely and successfully.

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. Works with other engineers, technicians, and outside customers, develops and executes operational procedures for impact tests of aircraft, rotorcraft, spacecraft and other subscale and full-scale unique test articles of up to 65,000 lbs. Coordinates the preparation for and execution of full-scale impact tests to replicate free flight impact conditions including realistic impact attitudes and velocities on various surfaces, obtaining transient vehicle and occupant response. Develops plans for rigging, lifting, swinging, and releasing full-scale test articles to achieve desired test conditions. Uses creativity, design skills, and engineering knowledge to develop and modify energy abatement systems to reduce impact loads on test articles or produce a desired customer-defined input pulse. Coordinates with other engineers, technicians, and outside customers to create instrumentation plans suitable to gather all data desired by customers. Calculates dynamic loads on the facility and test articles, exercises prudent engineering judgement, and coordinates with all center safety personnel to ensure that tests environments are safe for personnel, facility hardware, and test articles. Maintains all configuration-controlled documentation, including standard operating procedures, safety analysis reports, facility drawings, pressure system documents, component operation manuals, and supporting engineering and safety analysis. 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 investigation.
• You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• If selected, you will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement.
• 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: Supporting dynamic testing of aerospace structures; Reviewing test plans or drawings for test hardware; Calculating loads for simple dynamic systems or quasi-static equivalents to determine safety margins. 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 To qualify for GS-12, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level: Working in a multi-disciplinary team to develop and execute operational procedures for impact tests for aircraft, spacecraft, or similar test articles; Coordinating the preparation and execution of full-scale impact tests to replicate free flight impact conditions; Calculating dynamic loads on facility and test articles, and ensuring the safety of test environments. 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 undergraduate or graduate education only: Aeronautical Engineering, Aeronautics, Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, Astronautics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Applied Mechanics, Engineering Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Physics, Physics, Applied Physics, Engineering Physics, Structural Engineering, Welding Engineering. Other majors will qualify if the major includes or is supplemented as follows: Ceramics or Ceramics Engineering (with 12 semester hours in refractory ceramics, cermets or protective coatings); Civil Engineering, Computer Science, or Geology (with 12 semester hours in strength of materials, structures, thermodynamics, and/or basic static and dynamics); Metallurgy or Metallurgical Engineering (with 12 semester hours in physical or adaptive metallurgy, high temperature metals and alloys, cermets); Mathematics or Nuclear Engineering (with nine semester hours in physics, structures, materials or other appropriate courses). Other appropriate physical science or engineering fields may qualify with appropriate supplemental courses.

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]