For This Issue

NASA Hiring
Steadily in Technical
and Admin Positions

Engineers, scientists and administrative support personnel needed. The Agency is also advertising opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Student trainees also needed for work in the Agency’s 11 space centers.

As in years past NASA will be operating under a slightly reduced budget. However, the Agency continues to conduct major missions.

Long considered one of the best places to work in government, NASA always earns high approval ratings from its employees. The Agency operates 7 facilities in 7 states.

Occupations In Demand
NASA has an on-going need for engineers in many specializations, technologies and sciences. But the Agency also hires support personnel such as program specialists and administrators.

Interns and People with Disabilities
NASA has open Vacancy Announcements for “individuals with disabilities” and for students to take part in its “Career Experience Program.” Both of these Announcements are open for many months. Long closing dates often indicate a need for on-going hiring.

Exciting Work
The Agency asks on its employment page, “What did you do at your job today? All over the world, U.S. Government employees are doing exciting jobs on behalf of our country.” NASA maintains a presence in 11 states and has job openings in most locations. The Agency’s recruitment website offers this description: “NASA ranks near the very top among all large Federal Agencies in Effective Leadership, Teamwork, Strategic Management, and Support for Diversity as well as other areas.”

Openings
At present NASA has posted Vacancies for the following occupations:
Contract Specialist (GS-1102) $67,963
Civil Engineer (GS-0810) $89,033
Program Analyst (GS-0343) to $74,872
Aerospace Engineer (GS-861) to $123,758

Other occupations that are not open as of this writing but which open regularly are:
Secretary (GS-381) to $67,114
Technical Information Specialist (GS-1412) to $106,369

Steady Hiring
Recruitment is ongoing at all centers to replace those who retire or quit.

New college graduates and experienced professionals in science and engineering, as well as experienced researchers, engineers, scientists, lawyers, medical and support personnel including administrators, clerical personnel and secretaries are in regular demand at NASA.

NASA Occupations
Below is a list of the occupational categories in which NASA regularly recruits, although some may not be open at any given time.

Astronauts
Administrative Professionals (Accountants, Computer, IT, Personnel, Procurement, Logistics Public Affairs, etc)
Attorneys
Scientists & Engineers
Medical Doctors & other Medical Professionals
Pilots
Clerks/Assistants/Secretaries (Accounting, Computer, Personnel, Logistics, etc)
Senior Management
Students Interns
Security Specialists
Technicians (Safety, Quality, Aircraft, Equipment, Engineering, etc)

The largest of these occupational categories is Scientists and Engineers of which the Agency employs over 10,000. Some 2,400 Technicians are also employed by NASA. The number of Computer and other Support Personnel is also considerable at over 4,000. Astronauts continue to be on active duty with the Agency. These include Astronauts with military as well as civilian backgrounds.

Science and Engineering Positions
Competition is stiff for all NASA vacancies. More than half of NASA’s workforce consists of scientists and engineers. NASA reports that it continually attempts to recruit the best and brightest young people by maintaining a significant presence at engineering school campuses, through scholarship programs, and grants for student projects, and by providing endowments for faculty members doing research in relevant fields. NASA also maintains a high profile at college and professional career fairs.

Technical and Clerical
The space Agency has continuous openings for Clerical and Technical Support Staff. Secretaries and individuals to work with word processing equipment are regularly recruited at most NASA installations. Mechanics and Engineering Technicians are also needed to support various programs.

Astronaut Openings
NASA is not recruiting Astronauts at present. When Astronauts are being recruited they come from two classes. (Pilots and non-pilots) and from two backgrounds (military and civilian). Candidates interested in comparing their backgrounds to those of current astronauts can check this page which presents the biographies of all current astronauts.

NASA Qualifications
Candidates for science, engineering, and other professional positions must have either a college degree in a field related to the job for which they are applying, or the equivalent of required work experience.

These openings span the GS scale from clerical positions at GS-3 up to managerial jobs at GS-13+. Job candidates can contact the NASA installation at which they wish to work to discover what opportunities and at which grade level these are available.

Many engineering technicians work with the design of research equipment. Although this work is highly specialized, candidates for these positions do not need a college degree. However, they should be experienced in equipment design.

Work Environment
NASA recruits scientists, engineers and technical employees at every stage of their careers. However, a special effort is made to recruit students who are graduating from both graduate and undergraduate college programs.

The Agency promises all of the professionals it recruits “the unparalleled opportunity to work side by side with the Nation's top scientists, engineers, and other technical staff, backed by a capable group of professional support and administrative personnel, to extend the limits of knowledge through world-class research and science activities”

Benefits
While all Federal Agencies share common benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, NASA makes a special effort to provide comfortable employment that balances both the work and non-work responsibilities of the employee. NASA offers a variety of flexible work schedules. Also time off is earned and accrued as "paid leave" based on years of service. The Agency allows employees to schedule time off to meet their individual needs. Recreational activities, such as volleyball, softball, picnics, stage productions, and choral groups, are offered.

How to Apply
Applicants interested in NASA openings can submit an application on-line which includes of a Federal Resume that may not exceed 22,000 characters. The process begins by selecting the vacancy of interest on this site then clicking the Apply On Line button. Jobs also have a mail option. Candidates can submit hard copy resumes to the Resume Operations Center (ROC), the address which can be found in the Vacancy Announcements section. The resume must indicate the Vacancy Announcement of the job of interest.

Following is an applicant guideline:
Guideline

Astronaut Information
The NASA webpage for astronaut job information is:
Astronaut

Active duty military personnel must submit applications to their respective military service and not directly to NASA. Application procedures will be disseminated by each respective military service.
•

NASA INSTALLATIONS
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035
415-604-5000

Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edward, CA 93523
661-276-3311

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
301-286-4832

Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109
818-3354-5150

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Houston, TX 77058
281-244-2177

John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
866-737-5235

Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA 23669
757-727-0900

Glenn Research Center
Cleveland, OH 44114
216-694-2000

George C. Marshall
Space Flight Center
Huntsville, AL 35805
800-637-7223

John C. Stennis Space Center
Bay St Louis, MS 39520
228-533-9025

Virginia Air & Space Center
Hampton, VA 23669
757-727-0900

Wallops Flight Facility
Wallops Island, Virginia 23337

NASA Job Locations
Bay St. Louis, MS

Clarksburg, WV

Cleveland, OH

Edwards, CA

Flatwoods, WV

Greenbelt, MD

Hampton, VA

Houston, TX

Huntsville, AL

Indian Head, MD

Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, CA

Kennedy Space Center, FL

Los Angeles, CA

Mobile, AL

Morgantown, WV

Moffett Field, CA

New Orleans, LA

New York, NY

Parkersburg, WV

Parsons, WV

Silver Spring, MD

Stennis Space Center, MS

Wallops Island, VA

Washington, DC

Wright-Patterson, OH