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Research Materials Engineer, AST Aerospace Metallic Materials (Direct Hire)

Overview


Open & closing dates
  •  01/05/2023 to 01/11/2023
Salary
  • $72,185 - $133,747 per year
Pay scale & grade

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
  • No
Appointment type
  • Permanent -
Work schedule
  • Full-time -
Service
  • Competitive
Promotion potential
  • 13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
  • No
Security clearance
Drug test
  • No
Position sensitivity and risk
Trust determination process

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.Perform fundamental and applied research which provides strategic scientific and technical guidance in novel aerospace materials including refractory metal, shape memory, high-temperature structural, soft magnetic material, and amorphous alloys.Provide expertise and perform research on advanced metal alloys including the fundamental physics during processing, the microstructural evolution during post processing, and the influence of processing and microstructure on resulting properties.Oversee laboratory operations, lead a small team of technical performers, and contribute to hands-on operation of metal alloy processing laboratory including arc melting, vacuum melting, casting equipment, melt spinning, and strain annealing.Perform fabrication process development, analysis, characterization, simulation, test and/or verification.Contribute to new and ongoing research in refractory metal, shape memory, high-temperature structural and soft magnetic material alloys.Communicate with project management as a technical team lead, advocate for projects/new work, build partnerships and relationships, disseminate technical results orally in presentations and meetings, and in technical documents and program reports.Serve as subject matter expert for technical reviews. Excel at critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.

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.Applications will be considered from candidates who meet the graduate education qualification requirements by May 31, 2023. All other qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.If selected, you will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement.Start dates will be set after all requirements have been met and verified.

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.

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.

To qualify for GS-11, you must have:

a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the federal sector
  • Melting, fabrication, processing, or characterization of metal alloys;
  • Metal alloy development either through analysis or production of metal using primary or secondary processes;
  • Documenting research or engineering activities.
OR

b) Completed, or expect to complete, all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field by May 31, 2023

OR

c) Have, or expect to have, an equivalent combination of experience and graduate education as described in a) and b) above when qualifying education is completed by May 31, 2023.

To qualify for GS-12, you must have:

a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the federal sector:
  • Executing and documenting metallic material research activities;
  • Fabricating or processing of refractory metal, shape memory, high-temperature structural or soft magnetic material alloys;
  • Metal alloy design either through analysis or production of metal through primary processing (such as melting) or
  • secondary processing procedures.
OR

b) Completed, or expect to complete, all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field by May 31, 2023.

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:
  • Conceiving, executing, and documenting metallic material research activities on refractory metals, shape memory, high temperature metals or soft magnetic alloys;
  • Performing, leading, or directing material research activities for processing of refractory metal, shape memory, high temperature or soft magnetic alloys;
  • Performing metal alloy design through analysis and production of metal through primary processing (such as melting) and secondary processing procedures.
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.

Required college majors for applicants qualifying on the basis of graduate education only (GS-11 and GS-12 level):

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.

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.

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:
  • Creative Thinking
  • Metal Processing and Metalworking
  • Research
  • Technical Competence
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Metallurgy
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.