Aerospace Engineer, AST - Liquid Propulsion Systems (Direct Hire)

Aerospace Engineer, AST - Liquid Propulsion Systems (Direct Hire)

Department: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Location(s): Cleveland, Ohio

Salary Range: $77977 - $144481 Per Year

Job Summary: As an Aerospace Engineer in the Chemical and Thermal Propulsion Systems Branch within the Propulsion Division, Research and Engineering Directorate, at NASA Glenn Research Center, you will be involved in researching, developing, designing, analyzing, testing, certifying, and operating space propulsion systems for human spaceflight applications.

Major Duties:

• Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
• Exercise technical leadership over multidisciplinary teams in design, development, integration, test, evaluation, operation, and maintenance of flight vehicle propulsion systems and associated ground operations requirements/concepts.
• Exercise engineering judgment, creativity, and technical leadership to resolve technical issues and prove/disprove the feasibility of ideas, innovations, and modifications to liquid propulsion system components and overall performance.
• Provide technical oversight to aerospace engineering studies with elements or components from related disciplines such as systems engineering, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and integrated propulsion system design and operation.
• Provide recommendations on the development and production of human-rated liquid propulsion systems while navigating dynamic and unpredictable environments with multiple variables and unknowns affecting planning, design, risk, cost, and schedule.
• Provide technical oversight to the development and design of complex aerospace liquid propulsion technology, equipment, or systems that impact major programs and result in major advancements in the state-of-the-art of broad technologies.
• Serve as point of contact for project and program offices in executing assigned responsibilities as the Center's engineering expert for development and design of complex aerospace liquid propulsion systems.
• Manage and further develop partnerships with external organizations integral to propulsion system research, development, and production (e.g., international counterparts, prime contractors, subcontractors, academia).
• Manage engineering efforts for programs/projects involving human space flight propulsion systems and vehicles, including design and operational requirements definition, hardware testing, safety, integration, flight certification, and operations.

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-11, you must have: a) You must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level: Working on a multidisciplinary team or project to develop, produce, or operate aerospace systems; Assisting senior engineers in troubleshooting technical issues associated with aerospace systems. OR b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field. OR c) Completed 3 full academic years of graduate education in an appropriate field OR d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above To qualify for GS-12, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level: Working in at least two of the following phases of aerospace hardware development and/or production: design, build, test, evaluation, or operational planning; Collaborating with external partners (e.g., international partners, contractors, suppliers, etc.) or representatives from multiple disciplines on aerospace systems; Troubleshooting technical issues associated with aerospace systems in at least two of the following disciplines: propulsion, thermodynamics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, and/or engineering modeling/analysis. To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level: Working in at least two of the following phases of aerospace propulsion hardware development and/or production: design, build, test, evaluation, or operational planning; Collaborating with external partners (e.g., international partners, contractors, suppliers, etc.) on aerospace system development and/or production; Presenting recommendations and resolving technical issues associated with aerospace systems in at least two of the following disciplines: propulsion, thermodynamics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, and/or engineering modeling/analysis. 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. NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process. Required college majors for applicants qualifying on the basis of undergraduate or graduate education only (GS-11): Aeronautical Engineering, Aeronautics, Aerospace Engineering, Astronautics, Chemistry, Applied Mechanics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Physics, Physics, Applied Physics, Engineering Physics. Other majors will qualify if the major includes or is supplemented as follows: Electronics Engineering, Applied Mathematics (or other field), if the major includes or is supplemented by one course in thermodynamics, nuclear physics, rocket propulsion fundamentals, gas dynamics or modem or molecular physics; Astronautical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Pure Mathematics (or other related field), if includes or is supplemented by nine semester hours (or the equivalent) in physics, thermodynamics, chemistry or closely related fields.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the "Apply" link. Follow the prompts to select your resume (2 pages or fewer) and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Resumes longer than 2 pages will be rejected by the system. Resumes submitted via other document types will not be forwarded to the hiring manager, nor will they be used in the review of your qualifications. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. During the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. Your uploaded documents 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 vacancy questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify all required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. NASA's online application process provides step by step guidance to ensure you provide all needed information. If you are unable to apply online, please contact NSSC-CONTACTCENTER@MAIL.NASA.GOV for assistance. Be advised - application materials faxed, emailed, and/or mailed to Glenn Research Center 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.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-26