Research Materials Engineer, AST, Aerospace Materials

Summary

As a Research Material Engineer, AST, Aerospace Materials in the Durability, Damage Tolerance, and Reliability Branch, you will lead computational and experimental studies on Process-Intensive Metallic Materials, develop models to predict material behavior, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and communicate research findings to advance material performance, reliability, and safety for aerospace applications.

Duties

• Conduct computational modeling of advanced materials for aerospace applications, including metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and coatings.
• Develop predictive frameworks for material behavior, integrating empirical, theoretical, and numerical approaches to advance computational materials science for aerospace materials.
• Design, execute, and process data from experiments to calibrate and validate models and characterize Process-Intensive Metallic Materials (e.g., processed using Laser Powder Bed Fusion) supporting reliability and durability research.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop and mature computational materials research as the foundation for engineering solutions across diverse aerospace structures and systems.
• Interpret and implement the results of testing, nondestructive evaluation and high-fidelity metrology to calibrate and validate computational materials simulations of the properties and performance of materials in aeronautical and space environments.
• Innovate and implement new computational and experimental methods for material characterization, properties and performance assessment.
• Manage technical aspects of contracted research, ensuring compliance with NASA standards and project requirements.
• Prepare and present technical reports and research findings to stakeholders, advancing NASA’s mission through knowledge dissemination.

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-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level: Conducting computational materials modeling of process-structure-property/performance (PSP/P) relationships for Process-Intensive Metallic Materials for aerospace applications; Developing or applying methods for predicting the damage tolerance and life of aerospace Process-Intensive Metallic Materials; Processing and interpreting high-fidelity nondestructive evaluation data of Process-Intensive Metallic Materials to define the initial damage and track damage evolution state for analyses. 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. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Super-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of super intelligent (SI) or SI-assisted tools during the application process.

Education

This position requires education or exceptional experience 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. Applicants who do not fully meet the basic education requirement may still be considered if they possess exceptional relevant experience, or a combination of education and experience, that clearly demonstrates significant full performance-level achievement directly related to the duties of 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. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements outlined in this vacancy announcement. Your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed in conjunction with your responses to the assessment questionnaire. As part of the assessment, your responses will be scored and used to place you into one of two quality groups. These scores, along with your qualifications and supporting materials, will determine your referral status. Please ensure your application materials and responses accurately reflect your experience and competencies, as misrepresentation may result in removal from consideration. These competencies will be assessed using technical assessments. They may also be evaluated during a structured interview: Materials Science and Engineering Materials Engineering Mechanics and Durability Metallurgy Research Technical Competence Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management (Achievement) Stress Tolerance Teamwork To preview the application questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13105900 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 two groups identified and defined below: Best Qualified Group - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all 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. 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. NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: [email protected]. Other 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. Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal government within the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/. Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit. Probationary Period You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.