The Energy Conversion Systems Branch at NASA's Johnson Space Center is currently seeking interested candidates to serve as a senior fuel cell engineer. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting all phases of fuel cell design, development, test, integration, and evaluation for high fidelity ground-based technology demonstrations, possible spaceflight demonstrations and Lunar surface applications that could have an extensibility to Mars.

Duties

Develops and evaluates fuel cell and integrated system design requirements, environments for testing, and limitations under which fuel cell systems and/or their components must operate. Designs and develops ground-based tests and support equipment required to demonstrate the utilization of fuel cell technology for crewed spacecraft and Lunar surface applications. Responsible for the development, use, verification and validation, and enhancement of analytical and modeling tools for the prediction of fuel cell performance, including steady state electrochemistry, and reactant consumption. Develops statements of work, evaluates proposals, initiates trade studies and development contracts, and monitors contractor progress directed toward advancing state-of-the-art power generation systems. Proposes and reviews technology projects for the purpose of evaluating or advancing the state of the art for fuel cell applications. Develops and manages overall fuel cell portfolio funding, detailed project schedules comprised of internal and external milestones as well as tasks, associated progress, and coordinates resource requirements closely with Branch supervisors. Serves as a mentor to junior fuel cell engineers and assists in guiding their development to increase technical knowledge; coordinates development plans and associated training closely with Branch supervisors. Serves as a primary interface for any new fuel cell or technology development efforts across academia, commercial companies, international partners, and other NASA centers. 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 probationary 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. To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: providing guidance and oversight for various phases of the project lifecycle in the development of concepts of operations, requirements, architecture definition, verification and validation, design, assembly, integration, and operations and sustaining engineering, generating testing requirements, test plans, overseeing integrated testing, interpreting the resulting data, and generating test reports for fuel cell, atmospheric, and water electrolysis technologies; performing engineering work for development, operation, validation, and enhancement of analytical and modeling tools for the prediction of fuel cell performance, including steady state electrochemistry and reactant consumption; performing project management, risk-based decision making, mission operations, systems engineering & integration, including systems interface/integration. 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.

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.

Contacts

• Address Johnson Space Center 2101 NASA Parkway Houston, TX 77058 US
• Name: NASA Shared Services Contact Center
• Phone: 1-877-677-2123
• Email: [email protected]