Serves as Chief, Structural Engineering Division, providing overall technical and administrative leadership. Oversees design, development, testing, integration, operations, and activities sustaining engineering in structures, materials, loads, fracture analysis, environments, structural dynamics, thermal protection and control, mechanical systems, and advanced manufacturing in support of human spaceflight programs.
The Chief Structural Engineering Division: Responsible for technical management of activities in the areas of structures, materials and processes, fracture analysis and control, environments, structural and mechanical design analysis, heat transfer analysis, thermodynamics analysis, structural and kinematics loads analysis; structural and environmental testing; general process improvements, advanced manufacturing process development and manufacturing.
Leads these efforts across all human spaceflight programs, including the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Program, International Space Station (ISS), Commercial Crew Office, Commercial Destination Office, Orion, Human Landing systems, Extravehicular activity and mobility systems and Moon Base programs.
Leads the organization in the design, development, test and evaluation of spacecraft structural, mechanical and thermal protection systems, including unique human space flight expertise and applications in the domains of ablative and non-ablative heatshield design, analysis and certification, docking systems design, multipoint dynamics and contact analysis and certification of on-orbit docking and mass optimization.
Provides oversight and direction for the advancement of domain disciplines for JSC and the Agency, including the management and overall systems engineering to accomplish successful design, development, implementation, integration and operation of the spacecrafts systems.
Oversees and directs, as appropriate, the execution of mission-related engineering work within NASA, including establishment and implementation of stakeholder independent checks and balances needed to ensure this core mission capability is conducted proficiently, including the definition, development, implementation, integration and verification of avionics systems for space flight programs assigned to JSC.
Leads the organization in the establishment of requirements and milestones; provides technical leadership and coordination in performance of the activities; and facilitates implementation of activity results.
Such technical efforts may involve all aspects of structures, structural dynamics, kinematics loads, heat transfer thermodynamics, manufacturing spaceflight hardware, including standards development, other process improvements, and the transfer of technology improvements to industry.
Establishes and operates the necessary laboratories and test facilities for structural and dynamic testing in support of in-house conceptual development, certification and failure analysis of spacecraft systems. Utilizes other assigned facilities and test sites for testing culminating in verification and certification for flight readiness. Responsible for on-site manufacturing capabilities, including light and heavy machine shops, composite and sheet metal production.
Additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping, surface finishing, painting and cleaning facilities capable of handling engineering development and flight hardware production. Supervises and controls the work of the organization. Provides administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the Division office.
Represents the Division with upper Center management and represents the Directorate across the agency with similar domain expertise at other centers.
This position has a positive education requirement. To be eligible, you must clearly state in your resume the following: degree, major and/or minor, and college/university. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major study in engineering, physical science, mathematics, life sciences, computer science, or other field of science is required. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: 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, click here.
Agency-Executive-Staffing@mail.nasa.gov
This position is with Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The posted pay range is $197201 – $210811/yr.
This position requires a Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance.
Applications close on 2026-10-07.
This position is open under the 'Fed Competitive' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government
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