If you are graduating in May and still don't have a job lined up there are a few positions that I have caught wind of here at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. In the three years I have been here, I have only met two other NCSU grads and I wanna help change that. PM me if you are interested and I'll give you more details. Feel free to pass this message along to any other mech/aero students that will be graduating soon but I guess if you did that you'd be increasing your competition so maybe you shouldn't, heh.

4/16/2010 12:38:39 PM

are only entry level positions open? i'm a mech eng with 6 years experience.

4/16/2010 12:48:25 PM

Yeah they are entry level... if you had experience it certainly wouldn't hurt to apply but you'd probably be taking a pay cut if you already have 6 years of experience. If any of you are familiar with the government pay scale, you'd probably be starting out at a GS-7 if you have a BS or a GS-9 if you have an MS (+ locality pay).

4/16/2010 2:21:25 PM

yea nasa is where you want to be taking a job right now

4/16/2010 6:42:00 PM

yea nasa is where you want to be taking a job right now

4/16/2010 7:39:11 PM

^^, ^ You do realize that the new FY10 budget proposed by Obama has given NASA more money then we were already getting, right?

4/16/2010 11:34:49 PM

yea nasa is where you want to be taking a job right now

4/17/2010 2:51:13 AM

A job with NASA is better than no job at all. Bunch of dicks in this thread. GG to Wraith for actually trying to help some people out.

4/17/2010 8:27:39 AM

^

4/17/2010 8:28:49 AM

^^

4/17/2010 9:52:05 AM

^^^

4/17/2010 10:09:50 AM

Word on the street is NASA only even talks to people with a 4.0 GPA.

So I guess 99.9999% of TWW can apply then

[Edited on April 17, 2010 at 12:51 PM. Reason : ibt"I graduated with a 5.0"]

4/17/2010 12:50:02 PM

Here's what I don't understand. NASA only takes the brightest students (4.0ish GPA) but pays them lower than private industry. If you have a 4.0 coming out of school, why would you accept a GS-9 pay grade (http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/pdf/gs.pdf) of $41k when you could work for a larger corporation and make 25-50% more?

4/17/2010 1:14:07 PM

^ because money isn't the most important consideration for some people?

4/17/2010 3:13:20 PM

^^ have you met any aerospace majors? I am pretty sure 90% of them would literally kill someone if that could get them a job with NASA...

4/17/2010 3:47:13 PM

^^^ 4.0s in AE? There's not enough of those to fill NASA. In my graduating class, we had two summa cum laudes, two magna cum laudes, and four or five cum laudes. Four people out of ~40 were above 3.5. I was about 6th in the class with a 3.4.

^ NASA isn't necessarily the dream job that it was in elementary school. It's overrun with bureaucracy and the engineers don't necessarily have as much freedom than they'd have elsewhere. Depending on personal preferences, getting a job at Skunkworks or Phantomworks would trump NASA.

4/17/2010 10:36:28 PM

First of all ThePeter, I don't know what this 'word on the street' you speak of is, but you don't need a 4.0 GPA to work at NASA. Just as long as you know what you are doing and have decent experience coming in, the hiring requirements are just the same as any other company. They conduct job interviews like any company does and they definitely ask you tons of technical questions during the interview to make sure you know your stuff. I graduated AE with a 3.62 GPA, and had a year of co-op experience (not at NASA), a summer lab assistant position with one of my professors, and I taught fortran for a few years at NCSU. Keep in mind also, anyone that has graduated from NCSU Aerospace Engineering knows how insane the senior design project is... as tough of an experience as that was to go through, it looks amazing on a resume. All of this stuff really helped, but you could say that about any entry level job you are applying for. I know tons of guys working here that had ~3.0.

Second of all, that salary table that timbo posted is not accurate for these positions. The one he posted only appears to represent basic pay and does not include locality pay or special pay. Engineers are on a different pay scale than most government workers. Here is the ACTUAL pay scale that they use for engineers here at NASA MSFC:

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/10tables/html/hnt.asp

As you can see, starting salary is quite a bit higher than what was previously mentioned. On top of that, you get guaranteed promotions your first few years. I started out as a GS-7 (step 3) in June 2007 and since then I have been promoted three times (the first of which came 6 months after I started), now I am a GS-12. You also get mad crazy benefits as a government employee... one of the most important of which being that it is VERY difficult to get fired or laid off (unless you really mess something up or blow something up or whatever).

So please folks, get your facts straight before you start throwing things around that aren't true.


And as a side note, even if I didn't get paid much, I'd still love this job. You know why? Because every day I come in to work and design part of a spaceship. On top of that, in about 2 months I'm finally gonna be eligible for the astronaut corps. The type of people that do this kind of work really aren't in it for the money.

[Edited on April 18, 2010 at 2:53 AM. Reason : ]

4/18/2010 2:45:48 AM

^ gg. Sounds like a cool job that you actually are happy and proud to be doing. Money isn't everything. I am paid very well at my job in the paper industry, but some times I wonder if it would be better to make less in a more stable, more consistent work environment. By more consistent I mean hours wise. There is nothing like sitting in a control room at 3 am on a Saturday night waiting for a paper machine to start-up to make you question your career. Plus the paper industry, at least in the US, is shrinking so job security is never that great.

4/18/2010 6:23:21 AM

People here in Auburn talk very highly about Huntsville. Granted they are from Alabama but I wouldn't let the location scare anyone away.

I know nobody attacked the location but just thought I'd throw in my two cents in case it came up.

4/19/2010 1:45:38 AM

bttt

7/24/2010 2:00:18 PM

Thanks for the bump Omar.


I just heard about some jobs position openings in four areas: flight mechanics/controls, structures/materials, propulsion, and flight analysis/testing. If anyone is interested, send me a PM for more info. We're looking for people with at least a BS in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, materials, or chemical engineering.

7/24/2010 3:09:06 PM

Quote :

"First of all ThePeter, I don't know what this 'word on the street' you speak of is, but you don't need a 4.0 GPA to work at NASA. "

Well, I've actually been corrected in that the story was some research lab that was leftovers from the Manhattan project, not NASA. The rep literally said that they require the 4.0 or otherwise very high GPA, so my buddies and 90% of the class just turned their brains off as the rep talked to about 3 students in the bunch. Guess I just transferred the story to NASA.

I'll avoid getting into an argument in the Lounge, but I will say with your high GPA and large amount of experience for an undergrad, I'd say that NASA picks from the top of the bunch. Similar to Exxon taking the top CHEs.

7/24/2010 4:52:04 PM

Quote :

"get your facts straight before you start throwing things around that aren't true"

good luck with that one. everyones an expert on shit they know nothing about on the internet, and even more so on this site.

7/24/2010 5:12:23 PM

Yeah, fed job is not all about money, I started as a GS 7 which was fine when I graduated, now I am a GS 12. The private sector almost always pays better than the feds for the positions that require a descent amount of education.

[Edited on July 24, 2010 at 7:55 PM. Reason : w]

7/24/2010 7:54:38 PM

PM(s) sent.

7/25/2010 2:21:58 PM

^I was just about to send you the link to this thread.

7/25/2010 2:59:22 PM

FYI you must be a US Citizen to be eligible for these positions... I got a few inquiries from some exchange students.

7/27/2010 9:04:00 PM

bump

Just heard of a few positions open in the following areas:

Entry-level Engineering
Physical Sciences/Biological Sciences
Computer Engineer/Computer Scientist
Accounting and Budget/Business and Industry/Organizational Administration/Human Resources
Entry-level Engineering (Research)
Computer Engineer/Computer Scientist (Research)
Physical Sciences (Research)


I realize that the thread title is directed to mechanical and aero engineers so any mods please feel free to change the title. PM me if you are interested in any openings and I'll send you more info.

[Edited on October 18, 2010 at 2:08 PM. Reason : ]

10/18/2010 2:07:06 PM

i thought nasa was in the business of layoffs these days

10/18/2010 4:06:53 PM

^Not NASA... just the contractors. Actual civil servants like myself have plenty on our plates. There is still a lot of work to do (I'm not allowed to go into detail) and since a lot of old folks are retiring and contractors aren't sticking around, we're looking for new faces to do it.

10/18/2010 4:34:10 PM

bttt

10/27/2011 6:08:28 PM

Quote :

"yea nasa is where you want to be taking a job right now"

the general attitude of those participating in OWS.

theyre "above" certain jobs or rather, certain jobs arent even worth their time or consideration.

not to say any of those fucking idiots can even spell nasa...

10/27/2011 6:22:25 PM

Hey guys I know that most of the TWW user base is alumni these days but in the odd chance that current students do check this thread, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is looking for co-ops for the Spring 2012 and Summer 2012 semesters. Since this is the co-op program it probably isn't too pertinent to undergrad seniors but Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors and Grad Students in MAE, if you are interested please send me a PM. I guess if you are a senior that will still be in school for another few semesters you may be interested too. Keep in mind that this probably will delay your graduation BUT since NASA is kind of in a hiring freeze right now this is the only way that any students fresh out of college will be able to get a civil servant job here. If you do complete the co-op program you are pretty much guaranteed a job here when you graduate. I'd really love to see some more NCSU students/alumni down here.

If you happen to know any MAE students who would be interested, please pass this along to them. Thanks!

[Edited on October 28, 2011 at 2:36 AM. Reason : Requirements aren't too strict -- you don't need a super high GPA or anything. Don't be intimidated!]

10/28/2011 2:32:48 AM

Just a note about federal service.

When you get "fired" from federal service, it's not like getting fired in the private market. Generally speaking, if you were a good worker and did what you were told to do but were just a victim of budget cuts, you'll have some pretty strong advocates in other government sectors advocating for you to stay employed SOMEWHERE. Also, the change in the space program from more GOGO systems to COTS systems bodes well for those in the private sector working in conjunction with NASA. If you accept a position at a place like Huntsville, the realistic outlook is that if government-owned/government-operated (GOGO) spacecraft programs are cut, Huntsville will turn into the governing authority that writes requirements, tests, and validates the materials that the contractors put out. That's how the DoD "use" to be. Now the DoD is pushing hard for more GOGO systems.

Either way, the "pay may not be great", but the belabored statements about benefits really is true. Wraith, correct me if I'm wrong, but do you guys basically get the same benefits as us in the DoD?

EDIT: I wanted to add that the biggest benefit you have is job security. Generally with federal service, they reduce manning not by "firing" employees, but through attrition. At any point in time, most governmental agencies can offer early retirement packages to older employees, which allows them to keep their younger employees. By instituting hiring freezes in conjunction with encouraging retirement, most agencies can reduce their manning more effectively than arbitrarily "firing new guys".

[Edited on October 28, 2011 at 9:56 AM. Reason : job security]

10/28/2011 9:53:17 AM

Good to know that I make more than people at NASA and I never even got my degree. This has made me feel better about my life. It definitely can't hurt to say you worked at NASA on a resume though.

10/28/2011 1:46:16 PM

Speaking of NASA

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2011/10/27/nasa_doomed_by_obama_s_new_budget_argues_space_exploration_exper.html

10/28/2011 2:51:30 PM

we has intern/ 1st year jobs too...

payed.

10/28/2011 2:58:20 PM

Quote :

"Just last year, Obama told a space conference, “The bottom line is, nobody is more committed to manned spaceflight, to human exploration of space than I am.” He set ambitious space exploration goals, including a manned visit to Mars by the mid-2030s."

He also spoke on the campaign trail in 2008 about how important he thought it was to maintain a strong space program, including Ares. We see how that went.

---

Regardless, the article speaks to planetary exploration. Saying "we're cutting the budget to space exploration" is like the Navy saying "we're cutting the funding to designing stealth aircraft carriers"... it's cutting funding to something we aren't currently doing.

Wraith, chime in here: is NASA doing anything with interplanetary exploration aside from trade studies and AoA studies?

10/28/2011 3:00:47 PM

IT should be the same bennies as DoD civilians. Also, bonus - any time spent at a federal job, including military service, counts towards time for retirement. So let's say you work for five years, worked a couple of years for a private company, and went back to working gov't, you'd still have five years towards retirement.

10/28/2011 4:59:57 PM

Huntsville is not bumfuck Alabama. Huntsville is like RTP-lite, plus NASA, MSIC, Redstone Arsenal, etc.

10/28/2011 8:04:03 PM

^This is the truth. Although most of Alabama is full of backwoods rednecks, Huntsville is pretty much an oasis. It has the highest concentration of engineers in the country and I'm pretty sure that the research district here has the second highest concentration of PhD's in the country (second to the Research Triangle in NC of course ).

But yeah NASA civil servants get the same benefits as DoD civil servants. In fact, if you do get a co-op here you are considered a civil servant so you get all the benefits (including retirement stuff and I think some form of tuition reimbursement) of a regular employee. Job security is probably the best of the benefits though. It is VERY rare that anyone gets fired or laid off here... if you do something that would normally get you fired at another place, here you will most likely just get transferred somewhere else. The only time people ever get fired is if they are caught looking at pr0n at work. NCStatePride is fully correct in that they just offer a system of early retirement programs and stuff so that they don't need to actually let anyone go.

To answer your question though, there are no manned interplanetary projects going on right now. There have been rumors of projects in the future involving sending people to Diemos and Phobos, the two moons of Mars. There are a ton of deep space satellites and probe projects in work though, with plans to go to Mars, Venus and some of the outer planets. SLS, the current major NASA launch system project, is mainly aimed at sending humans to asteroids and to orbit various heavenly bodies.

10/28/2011 10:10:39 PM

Lol at Obama wanting to land on an asteroid

10/30/2011 8:51:51 AM

Quote :

"oasis."

Quote :

"It has the highest concentration of engineers in the country "

Does not compute. Translation: huge sausagefest and highest concentration of aspergers

10/30/2011 12:44:50 PM

^Well if I had to pick between nerds and racist rednecks I'd take nerds.

10/30/2011 6:26:01 PM

^^ MEs aren't really like that, for the most part

AE might be a little more so, but prob not too bad.

10/30/2011 8:22:20 PM

^^DC Metro area FTW. I'm convinced the girl:guy ratio is much more favorable here than it was back in North Carolina. Insert joke here about women running Washington.

10/31/2011 8:31:26 AM

Quote :

"FYI you must be a US Citizen to be eligible for these positions"

Is that true for all NASA jobs? Aren't you British, Wraith?

[Just curious]

10/31/2011 9:10:45 AM

^Pretty sure he's an American citizen. Man, if you want to see difficult, let me tell you about a guy that came on-board with me at the Naval base. He had a dual-citizenship with fucking Russia.

10/31/2011 9:18:39 AM

I don't know if it's true for all NASA jobs... it might not be as much as a requirement for the technicians or guys like that just as long as they get through a thorough background check. But yeah I am English by birth but I am an American citizen.

[Edited on October 31, 2011 at 11:24 AM. Reason : ]

10/31/2011 10:55:07 AM

Just got some new updates btw. Looking for folks who are pursuing a degree in any of the following:

Aerospace, Aeronautical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering, Math, and Physics. Other closely related engineering degrees may be considered if appropriate.

Computer Science and Information Technology

Physical and Biological sciences

Business Management, Business Analytics, MBA, Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Procurement-Contracting, and Education.

From the folks I've talked to here, students in aerospace, mechanical,, and electrical engineering have the best chance of getting something.

Basic requirements:

Be a United States Citizen;
b. Be at least 16 years old;
c. Have at least a 2.9 (2.9 overall) GPA;
d. Be pursuing a baccalaureate, graduate degree or PhD in one of the academic majors or related fields listed above; and
e. Be enrolled in an accredited college or university on at least a half-time basis and be at least a sophomore.

It looks like the only real thing that someone might have trouble meeting is the 2.9 GPA requirement.

10/31/2011 11:28:03 AM