Senior Scientist for Lunar Exploration

NASA•Washington, District of Columbia• Full Time

Posted 6 hours ago• Research• Mechanical

Compensation

$151,661–$217,332/year

Job Description

Summary

The Senior Scientist for Lunar Exploration within the Science Mission Directorate serves as the principal advisor to the Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration and Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program, on all science-related aspects of NASA's lunar science and exploration initiatives; advises on the scientific strategy for the exploration of Earth's Moon; and works with programmatic management to ensure the implementation of the science content is optimized.

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

04/22/2026 to 05/13/2026

Salary $151,661 - $217,332 per year Pay scale & grade SL 00

Location

Duties

The Senior Scientist for Lunar Exploration:

Represents the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) as required by the Associate Administrator in all scientific matters relating to scientific exploration of the Earth's Moon except where related to personnel.
Recommends lunar science goals and objectives which advance U.S. scientific preeminence, enable safe and sustainable human exploration of the Moon, and use of the Moon to prepare for human exploration of Mars.
Serves as the Senior Scientist advisor to the Associate Administrator for SMD, the Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration (DAAX), and the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program, on all matters concerning the scientific content and strategy of lunar exploration. In addition, the incumbent recommends the scientific direction and strategy for the lunar exploration to programmatic management to assure U.S. scientific preeminence in lunar science.
Assesses and coordinates scientific inputs to the lunar exploration science strategy consistent with scientific priorities established by SMD senior management officials.
Assesses and coordinates with programmatic management the science drivers for the development and implementation of a lunar instrument technology design and development program to meet the needs of future lunar exploration space science missions.
Coordinates lunar exploration science-related activities between NASA offices and other Federal and international agencies.
Assesses and coordinates scientific inputs for broad agency announcements for lunar exploration, including inter-agency and internationally supported opportunities.
Serves as principle SMD science representative for lunar exploration to the scientific community through advisory committees and other groups such as the National Research Council.
Supports the Associate Administrator for SMD, the DAAX, and programmatic management in presentation of the science aspects of lunar exploration to NASA top management, the Office of Management and Budget, the Congress, and other agencies and organizations as appropriate.

Requirements

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

Candidates must be a nationally or internationally recognized scientific expert with at least one year of GS-15-equivalent experience leading Lunar Science and Exploration efforts through missions or scientific research programs. This experience includes the development of Lunar Science and Exploration strategies; publishing research on the Earth's Moon; and collaborating across broad, complex networks of scientific and external stakeholders within the Lunar and Planetary science communities.

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 Skill

Please refer to the "How you will be evaluated" section for a list of competencies that you will be evaluated on.

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.

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.

Evaluation

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:

Creativity and Innovation
Partnering
Planetary Science
Planning and Evaluating
Problem Solving
Strategic Thinking
Teaching Others
Technical Competence
Technical Work and Team 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. 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: . 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.