Public Notice - Psychologist (Direct Hire)
What you'd do
The Operational Psychologist serves as a subject matter expert related to high-performance individuals and teams. You will provide psychological assessment and operational countermeasure implementation and support to astronauts and their dependents, and operational personnel. Includes astronaut applicant screening and selection; training of astronauts; provision of interventions; monitoring pre-flight readiness; in-flight wellness; post-flight psychological repatriation; and resource management.
Major duties
Provide real-time clinical and operational psychological support to NASA crew pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight. Assist in the development and implementation of the behavioral health and performance portion of astronaut selection. Develop and deliver psychological training and countermeasures for human space flight. Provide input to the development of design criteria, standards, and operational requirements for the human system, including habitability, cognition, and human performance. Assist in providing oversight, direction, and mentoring of contract operational psychologists and monitor contractor performance on Behavioral Health and Performance tasks. Contribute to the development of novel clinical countermeasures to mitigate mission safety risks related to human performance. Provide aeromedical expertise in individual psychological testing and assessment, with emphasis on neurocognitive testing and psychological suitability assessments for mission-critical positions. Mentor less experienced operational and clinical psychologists in the advanced practice of psychological assessment, training, and psychological support in operational settings.
What you need to qualify
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-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level: Conducting clinical psychological testing, behavioral health evaluations, and psychological suitability assessments to determine the readiness of personnel serving in high-risk operational environments; Developing and implementing psychological assessment methods, behavioral health countermeasures, and operational support strategies to enhance human performance and mission readiness; and Providing operational psychological consultation and behavioral health support to identify performance risks and support mission operations. To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: Leading clinical psychological assessment programs and behavioral health evaluations to improve personnel readiness and mitigate human performance risks in high-risk operational environments; Designing and integrating psychological assessment methodologies, behavioral health countermeasures, and operational support programs to improve operational performance and mission success; and Advising senior leadership on behavioral health, psychological assessment, and human performance to inform mission operations, human performance, and operational effectiveness. To qualify for GS-15, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level: Directing advanced clinical psychological testing and behavioral health evaluation activities to establish standards for assessing personnel serving in high-risk, complex operational environments; Developing psychological methods, measures, and assessment strategies to assess and select high-performance personnel for spaceflight and other high-risk operational deployments; and Translating behavioral health and human performance knowledge into operational requirements to improve mission safety, human performance, and operational effectiveness. 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.
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