Ever thought your destiny was to protect Earth from aliens? Think you should get paid six figures to do it? Well, today’s your lucky day, because NASA has the perfect job for you.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is looking to fill a position with the unbelievably cool title of Planetary Protection Officer, whose job it will be to literally protect the planet from extraterrestrial threats. The job pays handsomely, anywhere from $125,000 to $187,000 per year, and will operate out of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance for Planetary Protection, which is apparently a thing that exists.
Although you may be picturing someone in an armored space suit and armed with ray guns, the actual job is a little more mundane. It’s consists of making sure that any equipment that we send to space doesn’t return with any harmful alien microbes attached, or as NASA puts it in their job description, it “is concerned with the avoidance of organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration.”
So who can apply for this job? Well, you’ve got to be an American citizen, have one year of engineering experience, and a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, engineering, or physical science. Not so bad, right? Oh, you also have to have “demonstrated diplomacy skills,” “experience planning, executing, or overseeing elements of space programs of national significance,” and of course, “advanced knowledge of Planetary Protection, its requirements and mission categories.” Makes sense.
So if you still think you’ve got what it takes to be the next Jeff Goldblum/Will Smith, you can apply for the gig here.
