There is an exciting new job at NASA. It is for a Planetary Protection Officer (PPO). The successful applicant will have to make sure no life forms from outer space come to Earth. The PPO will check astronauts and space equipment for any alien bacteria. The position is on the usajobs.gov website. The post says the PPO will get a yearly salary of up to $187,000. The job contract is for three years, but could be extended by two years. It is one of the most unique jobs in the world. NASA only employs two PPOs. The job is only open to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals.
People who want the job must be well qualified. They must have "broad engineering expertise" and a degree in physical science, engineering or mathematics. Candidates must show they have experience in planning, carrying out, or managing parts of important American space programs. Finally, the candidate must have skills in diplomacy that lead to "win-win solutions during extremely difficult and complex…discussions". The new PPO will help to plan some future NASA missions. One of these is a trip to one of Jupiter's icy moons to search for alien life.