Imagine telling your friends and family members you have the job title of "Planetary Protection Officer."
The uniquely-titled position recently appeared on NASA's job listings page, and at first glance, one would imagine the person in this role will undoubtedly have the fate of planet Earth in his/her hands.
While it's not exactly protecting Earth from an alien invasion, a la "Independence Day," it does sound kind of awesome.
According to NASA, the Planetary Protection Officer will help prevent Earth from becoming contaminated with organic or biological material from space missions -- and vice versa.
The position lasts up to three years, with the possibility of a two-year extension, and the salary is between $124,406 to $187,000 a year, including benefits.
For this job, NASA is looking for candidates that have a degree in physical science, engineering or mathematics. If you have "Advanced knowledge of Planetary Protection" and "Demonstrated skills in diplomacy that resulted in win-win solutions during extremely difficult and complex multilateral discussions," you're that much closer to getting the gig.
After all of that, if you're still interested in the job, you have until August 14 to apply.
Click here to view the complete job description and to submit your application.
