Fire Protection Engineer (Direct Hire)

Serves as a Fire Protection Systems Engineer in the Facility Systems Branch, responsible for the near term and long-range planning, contract surveillance, and stewardship of assigned Kennedy Space Center infrastructure. Also, supports the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) office reviewing construction project designs, specifications, and submittals for compliance with requirements for fire suppression, fire detection, life safety, building code, and national electric code.

This job is open to

• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Videos

Duties

• Identifies and eliminates/mitigates fire hazards by providing information and decisions that aid in detecting, controlling, and suppressing fire events, considering the effects of fire on people, structures, commodities, and continuity of operations.
• Applies knowledge of theories, principles, practical concepts, processes, codes, standards, methods of fire prevention, and fire phenomena to evaluate designs; plans; studies; performance base modeling; and human response to emergency situations.
• Provides support to center expert for Fire Protection Engineering in the Protective Services Office, including serving as the alternate for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) authority having jurisdiction.
• Reviews designs and other related materials and considers field conditions to ensure building construction and fire protection features are in place to minimize danger to life and property from effects of fire.
• Provides technical guidance and expertise into the development and management of policies and procedures for facility management systems and functions. Interprets and/or revises existing policy and regulations, and reviews legislation changes.
• Interacts with all levels of management and technical personnel at KSC, other NASA Centers, other Government agencies, and commercial entities operating on KSC, to accomplish the defined major duties.
• Analyzes unique aerospace fire hazard and personnel safety situations that may involve high dollar ground support equipment, space vehicles, toxic and highly flammable fuel and oxidizer storage, cryogenic materials, and other hazardous commodities.
• Develops and maintains specific knowledge of KSC-unique integrated configurations of fire suppression, electronic fire detection, and alarms systems, including systems used for launch processing and launch of space vehicles.
• Fosters 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

Conditions of Employment

• This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• Position subject to pre-employment background security 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

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.

To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level:

• Providing Fire Protection engineering guidance for design and construction of new and existing facilities and proposed facilities/facility upgrades in accordance with fire protection code and standards;
• Reviewing and providing input on construction project designs, specifications, and submittals in one or more of the following areas: fire suppression, fire detection, life safety, building code, or national electric code;
• Formulating and implementing projects and investigations in all matters of fire protection, fire prevention, and life safety, as well as providing oversight on the quality and compliance of fire protection engineering products.

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.

Basic Requirement:

You must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree that included a major in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must:(1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET;

OR

(2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics:(a) statics, dynamics;(b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics;

OR

Have a combination of education and experience: college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished:(1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT) , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those individuals who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an individual who attains registration through a State Board’s eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
2. Written Test Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional.
3. Specified academic courses Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements.
4. Related curriculum Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided you have had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

Education

U.S. 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/.

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://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement.

If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must:

– Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility.

– Meet the minimum qualifications requirements for the position

-Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in ‘Required Documents.’

For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here – https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap.

This is a bargaining unit position. If additional selections are made, those positions may or may not be in a bargaining unit. To learn more about bargaining units at NASA please click here NASA Unions (Bargaining Units) | NASA.

• Benefits
  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.

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management’s Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans’ preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans’ preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans’ preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information please see: Veterans’ Preference information on the FedsHireVets website.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

• Fire Management
• Fire Protection Engineering
• Technical Competence
• Workplace Safety

NASA considers paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: Agency-FCCJ[redacted]

• Benefits
  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.
• Required Documents
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.
  A complete application package includes a resume, required documents and completion of the vacancy announcement questionnaire. Please see this guidance: What to include in your resume. Your resume sh