Summary
The Director for Spectrum Policy and Planning analyzes spectrum utilization issues and policies, providing expert service and recommendations to the management officials with delegated responsibility to direct and discharge all major elements of the Agency's spectrum management program. Serves as a technical expert in both national and international spectrum management, representing NASA in the development of spectrum management use policy while performing official liaison with national bodies.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Duties
The Director for Spectrum Policy and Planning:
- Reviews and recommends approval of developed descriptions of proposed missions that include forecasts of NASA's programmatic and administrative telecommunications and associated spectrum needs for the long term (5 to 20 years). Recommends all Agency long-range planning initiatives relative to the allocation and use of the spectrum for spaceflight operations.
- Recommends approval of the development of plans and strategies aimed at securing the necessary radio frequency spectrum and orbital arc resources required for the successful conduct of the Agency's current and future telecommunications and scientific observation requirements.
- Advises the Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Communications and Navigation and senior NASA officials on spectrum strategy critical to the conduct of the Agency's mission and provides policy and planning guidance regarding overall coordination of spectrum management across all NASA centers' spectrum management activities.
- Actively participates in an official capacity in the collective national process for recommending plans and strategies for managing the spectrum and orbital arc resources on behalf of the Federal Government by being the Agency technical representative to the interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC).
- Directs and approves results of studies and assessments conducted to assist in selection of technically and politically appropriate spectrum areas needed to assure compatible use of frequencies during critical spaceflight operations.
- Formulates recommendations for spectrum management policy, rules, and guidelines, including relevant schedules required for effective administration of the NASA Spectrum Management Program.
- Conducts Headquarters and field assessments to assure compliance with Agency, national, and international policy and regulations governing the Agency's use of the critically important spectrum and orbital arc resources.
- Acts as Senior Agency Technical Representative in various national and international spectrum management organizations including the important international SFCG.
- Serves as senior NASA person credentialed for official duty as U.S. Delegate to International Telecommunication Union activities such as International Radio Consultative Committee meetings and World Administrative Radio Conferences.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- The individual selected will be required to file an 'Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report' (OGE-278e) within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Successful completion of a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
- Successful completion of pre-employment and random drug testing may be required.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance as required by the position.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period. See additional information section.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
Qualifications
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
Candidates must be a recognized subject matter expert with at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-15 level (5 years preferred) in radio-communication technology, spectrum management, spectrum licensing, and associated national and international spectrum regulatory policies of sufficient depth to allow the identification, assessment, and development of solutions to complex radio and telecommunications challenges involving both technical and policy considerations. In addition, demonstrated experience managing and delivering results across complex stakeholder groups, such as inter-agency and international stakeholders.
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 position. NASA strictly prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tools to draft application or assessment responses. For more information, please refer to NASA's guidance: https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence
To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, your resume must also address each of the Senior Level (SL) Evaluation Criteria listed below. Failure to address these criteria will result in your application being rated ineligible. For the full definition of the SL Evaluation Criteria please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/executiveleadership/#SL-Evaluation-Criteria. Please include your full name on all documents submitted.
SL EVALUATION CRITERIA:
1. Technical Excellence and Contributions
- Experience/Accomplishments
- Technical and Strategic Problem Solving
- Information Transfer
2. Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skills
Please refer to the "How you will be evaluated" section for a list of competencies that you will be evaluated on.
Education
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.
An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
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.
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.
Additional information
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. 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.
This position is concurrently advertised on USAJOBS under announcement HQ-26-SL-12873346 and is open to current federal civil servant career or career conditional employees, only one selection will be made. NASA civil service career or career conditional employees should apply to vacancy announcement HQ-26-SL-12873346.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
All qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. As part of the assessment, your resume will be assessed on SL Evaluation Criteria and used to place you into one of three quality groups. These scores, along with your qualifications and supporting materials, will determine your referral status. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
These competencies will be assessed using technical assessments. They may also be evaluated during a structured interview:
- Technical Work and Team Management
- Partnering
- Technical Competence
- Creativity and Innovation
- Planning and Evaluating
- Problem Solving
- Teaching Others
- Communications Network and Engineering
- Policy Management
Under NASA's category rating process, applicants will be assessed on the position competencies and placed in one of three categories identified and defined below:
- Best Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
- Highly Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
- Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.
The panel reviews the resumes against each SL criterion. Names of all qualified applicants in the Best Qualified category will be referred (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which case only those names will be initially certified). Applicants within the Best Qualified category who are eligible for veterans' preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. Candidates may receive an interview for further evaluation and/or be asked to provide a list of references. The panel will make a recommendation to the appropriate approving authority.
Required Documents
You must provide a complete application package. If you do not provide all required information, you will not be considered for this position. Only provide the following:
RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (recommend PDF file) showing all relevant experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. Your 2-page resume should also address the SL Evaluation Criteria. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry.
Please see this guidance: What to include in your resume. Note: if any of the following types of information are included on your resume, your application package may be disqualified:
- Classified or government sensitive information.
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Photos of yourself
- Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
- Encrypted and digitally signed documents.
If your resume contains any of the above information, you must redact that information prior to the submission of your application.
VACANCY QUESTION/ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Responses are automatically submitted through USAJOBS when you apply to this vacancy.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation to support your eligibility and the information provided in your application package. For example, we may request transcripts, SF-50s, etc. Therefore, we encourage you to have these documents prepared and ready when requested. If you fail to provide the required documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw a job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, we may request a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For more information on veterans' preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit
FedsHireVets.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section and submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume to be included with your application package. Your uploaded resume may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the "Include Personal Information" section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status
Faxed, emailed, and/or mailed application materials will not be accepted for this announcement.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact NASA Executive Staffing at Agency-Executive-Staffing@mail.nasa.gov.