The position serves as an Aerospace Engineer in the Space Policy Division (ASZ-200), Space Policy and Outreach Branch (ASZ-220) which conducts policy-related business, including creating new regulations and standards and supporting interagency and industry engagement, including Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC).
Duties:
Performs multiple, varying, and complex assignments and plans the implementation of projects/programs under limited direction of a manager, project/program manager, or more experienced engineer. Performs analyses of highly complex policies involving space, interagency space priorities, and integration of space through the national aerospace system.
Acts as a key technical point of contact for assigned activities and as a contributing specialist. May take a lead role on team projects, including actively encouraging communication, coordination, innovation, and team products.
Provides advice on key strategy and other initiatives. Reviews and develops policy positions and responses to action that have implications for space policy, national security space policy, and international space policy.
Responsible for development and review of technical standards for orbital safety, coordinating technical space safety issues involving astrodynamics, explosive siting and other technical standards related to safety of spaceflight with internal and external space related partners.
Assists in the development of regulatory requirements for new and existing technologies and concepts for commercial space transportation involving expendable and reusable launch vehicles.
Contributes to the preparation of management/technical reports or contractual documents and may be called upon to communicate the overall results of a project or work activity to FAA management, the commercial space transportation industry, and other external parties.
Provides technical and policy assistance in enabling licensed and permitted operations to be safely and efficiently integrated into the National Airspace System.
Defines, plans, organizes, and reviews, and makes adjustment to strategies, concepts, programs for oversight of safe commercial space activities such as collision avoidance, nuclear system analysis and explosive catastrophic failure of systems.
Applies experience and advanced knowledge of engineering principles, theories, and concepts applicable to their discipline to accomplish assignments-and to develop plans and techniques to improve programs and policies. Understands how technical area interacts with or is affected by other disciplines and considers the objectives of the major subdivision and LOB/SO when developing, integrating, and implementing solutions to diverse, complex problems
Supports FAA operational licensing activities by providing technical expertise on policy and program guidance; Identifies and informs management of problems that require their attention. focuses senior policy attention on issues with space policy, national security, or international and foreign policy implications.
Combines technical expertise with policy awareness to assist with technical reviews during the evaluation of license, permit or safety approval applications.
Contacts are internal and external. Represents the FAA as policy and technical representative on interagency working groups developing technical safety standards for safe commercial space operations, delegations to international meetings and conferences. Presents FAA positions to Congressional staff. Leads interagency coordination activities with space interagency partners at various security levels on tasks related to public safety including the launch of commercial space launch vehicles with nuclear space systems.
Monitors Congressional action on space programs and policy. Responds to technical assistance requests from Congress on potential legislation impacting DOT space authorities.
Work is reviewed periodically, typically at major milestones and at completion, for technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity.
Work activities typically support and may be vital to the success of projects or activities of one or more organizational units, subdivisions, and LOB's/SO's.