NASA seeks Chief Archivist

If you're comfortable working with paper and digital records, relish doing historical research as well as supporting the multi-faceted research of others, excel at editing draft publications, know or want to know a lot about the history of space exploration, and live or want to live in the Washington, DC area, the History Division of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) may have a really cool job waiting for you. Please note that the application deadline is 30 December 2016 (i.e., two days following the date of this posting), that the position is open only to U.S. citizens, and that the successful candidate must pass a background check.

Summary
The Archivist position serves as the lead for policy guidance on archival issues across the agency, reporting to the Chief Historian in the History Division within the Office of Communications. Provides historical archival and technical information to the aerospace field. The archivist is responsible for managing, maintaining, and enhancing the NASA Headquarters Historical Reference, the historical reference service available to NASA personnel, NASA-sponsored historical researchers, and researchers in other agencies, universities, the media and the general public.

Comments
This position may be filled at the GS-12 or GS-13 grade level.

The full performance level for this position is GS-13.

This position is being announced in conjunction with Merit Promotion vacancy announcement number HQ17C0041 [consult this posting if you are already employed by the federal government]. Current and former Federal employees, disabled Veterans, candidates with 3 or more years of active duty military service, and candidates eligible for special hiring authorities wishing to be considered under merit promotion procedures may apply to vacancy announcement HQ17C0041. Only one position will be filled as a result of these two vacancy announcements.

Please list your General Schedule (GS) equivalency on your resume for every federal position you have held.

To receive consideration, you must submit a resume and answer NASA-specific questions. The NASA questions appear after you submit your resume and are transferred to the NASA web site. If you successfully apply, USAJOBS will show your application status as 'Received'. If your status is 'Application Status Not Available', you have not successfully applied. Do not rely on a USAJOBS email to confirm successful application. Only an email from NASA confirms a successful application.

Duties
This position serves as Senior Archivist and Technical Information Specialist responsibility for the acquisition, analysis, indexing, updating, management, accessing, and retrieval of all materials in the NASA Historical Reference Collection. Responsible for the identification, evaluation, and description of all NASA Documents, including digital records, that may have historical value.

Manages NASA's archival activities by collecting, appraising, arranging, accessioning, inventorying, recording, preserving, and archiving historical materials into the NASA Historical Reference Collection. Manages the physical and intellectual control over the holdings of the collection, ensures the coherency and optimal maintenance of the collection; ensuring ready access for researchers.

Provides expert policy guidance and recommendations on procedures relating research services, identification, analysis, evaluation, processing, description, indexing, preservation, storage, and retrieval of NASA historical documents for research and reference purposes. Collaborates with NASA Records Management officials in ensuring the historical collection, preservation, and the digital records process are in compliant with regulatory requirements, policies and procedures.

Conducts and manages comprehensive, retrospective, complex information, literature and data searches for NASA and other Federal officials, academic institutions, media, and private sector organizations, and the general public. Edits a variety of historical publications as required to include books, manuscripts, and professional journals and media articles. Represents NASA at aerospace information activities for ensuring the agency's collections and processes are in compliant and consistent with policies and procedures.

Job Requirements 

Key Requirements 

• A one-year probationary period may be required
• Applicants must possess at least a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent
• Position subject to pre-employment background investigation
• Position subject to a pre-employment drug test
• Selectee must complete a financial disclosure statement

Qualifications
Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, which has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above.

Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-12 grade level for this position includes:

1. Manages the physical and intellectual control over the holdings of the agency's historical collection.
2. Recommends edits for a variety of historical communications to include publications, books, manuscripts, and professional journal/media articles.
3. Collaborates with management officials on ensuring the historical collection, preservation, and digital records are within regularity guidelines, policies and procedures.

Specialized experience to qualify at the GS-13 grade level for this position includes:

1. Manages and provides policy guidance on digital and born-digital documents of historical value.
2. Manages and provides expert policy guidance on the identification, evaluation, and description of all NASA's documents that has historical value, and serves as the Agency's authority in historical documentation matters.
3. Edits a variety of historical communications to include publications, books, manuscripts, and professional journals/media articles.

Your resume must fully support how you meet the specialized experience in order to be found qualified for this position.

The salary range for this position is $77,490.00 to $119,794.00 per year, and the federal government offers employees a comprehensive suite of benefits. For more information about this position and application instructions, consult the position posting (or, if you are already employed by the federal government, the promotional posting). And remember: the application deadline is 30 December 2016.