Chief Nurse-NASA Johnson Space Center Clinic

Description

Belong. Connect. Grow.

We are a team of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers who share one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely.

On the Human Health and Performance Contract 2, we are at the forefront of safeguarding astronaut health, supporting human performance, and advancing technologies for human space exploration.

JES Tech is seeking an experienced Chief Nurse to provide clinical and operational leadership for nursing and clinical support services at the NASA Johnson Space Center Clinic in Houston, Texas.

What You’ll Do

The Chief Nurse serves as the senior nursing leader for clinic operations and is responsible for the supervision, coordination, and professional oversight of the nursing team, clinic paramedic personnel, and other assigned clinical support staff.

This position is responsible for maintaining high standards of patient care, clinical readiness, regulatory compliance, staff competency, and operational performance. The Chief Nurse works collaboratively with physicians, advanced practice providers, occupational health professionals, clinic leadership, NASA representatives, and other members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to ensure safe, effective, timely, and mission-responsive healthcare services.

The Chief Nurse also serves as a primary on-site management representative for JES Tech.

In addition to leadership responsibilities, the Chief Nurse maintains clinical competency and may provide direct patient care as operational needs require, including assessment and management of occupational injuries and illnesses, urgent clinical conditions, employee health concerns, and other services within the individual's professional scope of practice.

Clinical Leadership & Staff Management

• Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision, and professional oversight of nursing personnel, clinic paramedics, and other assigned clinical support staff.
• Establish clear performance expectations and promote accountability, professionalism, teamwork, effective communication, and patient-centered care.
• Coordinate clinical staffing and assignments to maintain appropriate coverage, continuity of operations, and responsiveness to NASA mission requirements.
• Participate in employee selection, onboarding, orientation, competency assessment, performance management, coaching, corrective action, and professional development.
• Identify staffing, training, equipment, and operational needs and provide recommendations to clinic and contract leadership.
• Serve as a clinical resource and escalation point for nursing, paramedic, and clinical support personnel.

Clinical Operations & Patient Care

• Provide nursing support for patients seen in the JSC Clinic and maintain clinical competency to provide direct patient care when operationally necessary.
• Oversee the delivery of safe, appropriate, evidence-based clinical care consistent with professional standards, clinic protocols, patient needs, and applicable scopes of practice.
• Oversee patient intake, assessment, treatment, monitoring, documentation, follow-up, and disposition.
• Support the evaluation and management of occupational injuries and illnesses, employee health concerns, and other conditions addressed within the JSC Clinic.
• Ensure appropriate clinical response, documentation, notification, follow-up, and disposition associated with workplace injuries, illnesses, exposures, and other reportable clinical events.
• Collaborate with physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team in clinical decision-making and continuity of patient care.

Clinical Quality, Governance & Compliance

• Provide nursing leadership in the development, review, implementation, and maintenance of clinical policies, procedures, protocols, workflows, and standards of practice.
• Ensure clinical practices align with evidence-based standards, contractual requirements, Texas Board of Nursing requirements, applicable federal and state regulations, NASA/JSC requirements, and JES Tech policies.
• Support execution of the Quality Assurance Plan and monitor clinical quality, patient safety, documentation, and compliance.
• Participate in audits, incident reviews, performance improvement activities, and corrective or preventive actions as appropriate.
• Promote a strong culture of patient safety, workplace safety, confidentiality, and appropriate protection of medical information.
• Identify clinical or operational risks and recommend improvements to enhance quality, efficiency, consistency, and mission support.

Mission Readiness & Staff Competency

• Maintain the readiness of nursing, paramedic, and other clinical support personnel to meet routine and mission-driven clinic requirements.
• Ensure assigned personnel maintain required licenses, certifications, clinical competencies, and training.
• Establish and monitor orientation, competency validation, continuing education, and professional development for assigned staff.
• Assess clinical operations, staffing, workflows, equipment, and staff capabilities to identify gaps that could affect mission support.
• Participate in clinic readiness activities, exercises, operational planning, and other initiatives supporting NASA health and human performance requirements.
• Coordinate with clinic leadership and other JSC organizations to ensure clinical services remain responsive to changing workforce and mission needs.

Clinic & Contract Operations

• Actively participate in clinic leadership meetings, operational planning, staffing discussions, and coordination with clinic management and NASA representatives.
• Serve as a key management liaison among assigned clinic personnel, JES Tech leadership, Human Resources, clinic leadership, and NASA/JSC stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical and administrative documentation and provide reports or operational information as required.
• Ensure assigned staff comply with JES Tech, contract, NASA/JSC, safety, quality, training, and professional requirements.
• Perform additional duties consistent with the position's leadership responsibilities, professional licensure, clinical competency, and contract requirements.

What You Bring

• Strong clinical judgment and demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary clinical personnel.
• Proven experience managing employee performance, providing clear and constructive feedback, coaching employees, and addressing difficult workplace situations.
• Ability to supervise nursing, paramedic, and other clinical support functions within a complex healthcare environment.
• Strong knowledge of nursing standards, patient safety, clinical quality, occupational health, and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to develop and implement clinical policies, workflows, competency programs, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills with the ability to balance staffing, clinical priorities, operational requirements, customer expectations, and NASA mission needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively across multiple levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, and ability to safeguard confidential and sensitive medical information.
• Ability to operate effectively within a dynamic, multidisciplinary, mission-focused environment.

Worksite: NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off  

Work Arrangement: Full-time, on-site

Reports To: Clinic Manager 

Requirements

 Your Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing program.
• Current, unrestricted license to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the State of Texas or a current multistate/compact RN license recognized by Texas.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible nursing experience, preferably including experience in ambulatory care, occupational health, employee health, or a comparable clinical environment.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive nursing leadership or management experience with direct supervisory responsibility for clinical personnel and healthcare operations, including experience managing employee performance, coaching, conflict resolution, staffing, employee development, and corrective or disciplinary matters.
• Demonstrated knowledge of nursing standards of practice, clinical quality, patient safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Preferred Qualifications

• Military or flight medicine clinical experience.
• Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience in occupational health, employee health, aerospace medicine, multidisciplinary ambulatory clinic operations, or health and human performance programs.
• Experience supporting a federal government healthcare environment, government contractor, military healthcare organization, aerospace medicine program, or other highly regulated clinical setting.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Certification in occupational health nursing, ambulatory care nursing, nursing leadership, or another relevant specialty.