Independent Contractor Exercise Science Jobs in Houston, TX

Belong. Connect. Grow. We are a contract of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers, and we all share one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely. On the Human Health and Performance Contract, we are at the forefront of safeguarding astronaut health, ensuring human performance, and advancing technologies for human space exploration.

We are seeking a Clinical Exercise Physiologist at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX to support the Exercise Physiology and Countermeasures (EPC) Laboratory.

What you'll do:

In this role, you will play a key part in supporting the Exercise Physiology and Countermeasures (EPC) team by conducting and coordinating exercise-focused physiological testing to advance human health and performance for exploration missions. You will help transition research into operational use, validate exercise countermeasure systems, and perform human performance assessments across laboratory, analog, and field environments.

This position supports routine operational testing using established protocols in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will be comfortable working independently, leading testing activities, and maintaining a high level of professionalism while interacting with research participants, crewmembers, clinicians, engineers, and multidisciplinary teams.

Your primary interfaces will include the NASA Human Health and Performance Directorate, Flight Operations, engineering groups, crewmembers, clinical personnel, research collaborators, and human test subjects.

• Lead physiological and performance testing during research studies, training, and analog missions while ensuring participant safety and high-quality data collection.
• Independently perform setup, calibration, troubleshooting, and real-time monitoring of exercise and physiological testing equipment.
• Independently conduct graded exercise testing, VO2 max testing, and other physiological performance assessments using continuous ECG and vital sign monitoring.
• Troubleshoot issues that arise during testing and apply sound judgment to ensure participant safety and data integrity.
• Coordinate human research studies and engineering evaluations, including participant scheduling, logistics, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead testing activities by coordinating participants and guiding team members through established testing protocols to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent execution.
• Prepare and maintain study documentation, including IRB protocols, test plans, readiness review materials, and progress reports.
• Design, implement, and maintain data acquisition systems for physiological, metabolic, and performance testing.
• Support validation and verification of exercise countermeasure hardware, wearable physiological sensors, and human-system interaction technologies.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of conditioning programs, testing protocols, and performance standards supporting crew health and mission readiness.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Complete all assigned training and perform other duties as assigned.

What you bring:

You bring experience independently leading exercise and physiological performance testing with minimal supervision. You are comfortable conducting graded exercise testing with continuous ECG and vital sign monitoring, troubleshooting during testing, and making sound decisions in real time while maintaining participant safety.

You communicate professionally and effectively with research participants, astronauts, clinicians, engineers, and multidisciplinary teams. You are organized, adaptable, and able to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology, Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physiology, or a related field.
• Approximately 5–10 years of progressively responsible experience in clinical exercise physiology or human performance testing, or an equivalent combination of graduate education and relevant experience.
• Experience independently conducting graded exercise testing, VO2 max testing, and physiological performance assessments with continuous ECG and vital sign monitoring.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead testing activities with minimal supervision.
• Experience conducting human performance research or clinical exercise testing involving direct interaction with research participants or patients.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to effectively interact with participants, crewmembers, clinicians, engineers, and multidisciplinary teams.
• U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Exercise Physiology, Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Physiology, or a related field.
• ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP) certification preferred. Equivalent hands-on experience independently conducting clinical exercise testing will also be considered.
• Experience evaluating wearable physiological sensors, exercise devices, or other health monitoring technologies.
• Experience supporting operational human performance studies or human-system interaction testing in research or operational environments.
• Familiarity with NASA Human Health & Performance, exercise countermeasure systems, human systems integration, or spaceflight analog environments.

Skills

• Ability to independently lead exercise testing while maintaining participant safety and data quality.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work independently and collaboratively across multiple NASA organizations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Sound judgment and problem-solving skills during physiological testing activities.
• High attention to detail and understanding of human performance assessment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard PC applications.

What to Expect

This position is 100% onsite at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Occasional travel may be required.