Executive Leadership Opportunities 

At NASA, we are united by a shared purpose to lead the agency towards meeting its mission. Our strong leadership cadre supports and empowers NASA employees to explore the unknown in air and space, innovate for the benefit of humanity, and inspire the world through discovery.  

NASA has three executive career paths: Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Leaders (SL), and Scientific and Professional (ST) positions. 

• Senior Executive Service  (SES)
  • The leaders who make up the SES oversee nearly every government activity across each federal agency, including NASA. These leaders possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective on government and a public service commitment that is grounded in the Constitution. For additional information about SES, visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Senior Executive Service (SES) website. 

• Senior Leader (SL)
  • NASA executives who serve in SL positions are critical technical leaders, including center or program chief engineers and launch directors. For additional information about SL positions, visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Senior-Level (SL) & Scientific and Professional (ST) Positions webpage. 

• Scientific and Professional  (ST)
  • The NASA executives who serve in ST positions are recognized as world-renowned researchers in physical, biological, medical, or engineering sciences. For additional information about ST positions, visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Senior-Level (SL) & Scientific and Professional (ST) Positions webpage. 

Application Process

Applicants can search for SES positions or ST and SL positions on USAJOBS. You may also save your USAJOBS search to be automatically notified of new opportunities. 
 
All applicants need to submit a resume (two pages maximum) that clearly demonstrates the associated criteria: 

• SES resumes must clearly demonstrate the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) required for the position.   

• SL and ST resumes must address NASA’s SL or ST evaluation criteria. After submitting their resume on USAJOBS, applicants will be redirected to a secondary website to submit responses to the agency’s SL evaluation criteria or ST evaluation criteria. 

The “How to Apply” section of each vacancy announcements provides details on the application procedures. You can learn more about the application processes on the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) SES Selection Process webpage.  

SL Evaluation Criteria

1. Technical Excellence and Contributions 

• A) Experience and Accomplishments Please provide an example(s) of your significant high-level experience that demonstrates executive level originality and creativity, and innovative contributions, such as new designs, techniques or processes, enabling technologies, capabilities, or program enhancements. Please include the impact on relevant NASA/Agency and/or national programs.
• B) Technical and Strategic Problem Solving Please provide an example(s) where you have formulated effective technical approaches to solve highly complex problems, personally and substantially contributing to the solution. Include interactions/collaborations with other Centers/installations, agencies, industries, and academia.
• C) Information Transfer Please provide information regarding your personal stature that demonstrated that you are recognized as an authoritative source of information broadly across NASA or by other agencies or private sector organizations. Include your major publications, reports, complex policies, or decisions with wide scope and impact including those used internally within the Agency. Also include presentations at conferences of discipline experts or meetings of Agency senior management, and interactions with individuals or organizations to share knowledge and/or transfer technology to the public domain. 

2. Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skills  

Please provide an example(s) that describe your technical leadership skills in directing or participating in technical team activities, as well as coordinating those activities within and outside your Center/installation/company. Also provide examples of coaching and mentoring less experienced employees or colleagues. 

ST Evaluation Criteria  

1. Technical Excellence and Contributions

• A) Experience and Accomplishments Please provide an example(s) of your significant research or advanced development experience that resulted in contributions to major advances to the state of the art or beyond, or innovative engineering or scientific contributions, inventions, new designs, techniques, processes, enabling technologies, and/or capabilities. Please include the impact on the relevant NASA/Agency and/or national programs.

• B) Technical and Strategic Problem Solving Please provide an example(s) where you have formulated effective technical approaches to solve highly complex technical problems, personally and substantially contributing to the solution. Include interactions/collaborations with other Centers/installations, agencies, industries, and academia.

• C) Publications and Information Transfer Please provide information regarding your personal stature that demonstrated that you are recognized as an authoritative source of information broadly across NASA or by other agencies or private sector organizations. Include your major journal publications, patents, technical reports, or other documentation that define the state of the art and/or are accepted as definitive in your field. Also include invited talks and conference presentations at major technical meetings or meetings of Agency senior management.

2. Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skills  

Please provide an example(s) that describe your technical leadership skills in directing or participating in technical team activities, as well as coordinating those activities within and outside your Center/installation/company. Also provide examples of coaching and mentoring less experienced employees or colleagues.