Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a hero? How about the protector of mankind? Well now NASA is looking for just that – and it'll pay a six-figure salary for the honor.

The U.S. space agency is currently in search not of life on other planets but of a "Planetary Protection Officer", who can protect Earth and its inhabitants from alien invasion.

The job, which is offering a salary of between $124,406 and $187,000 per year, involves preventing alien microbes from contaminating the Earth, as well as ensuring human space explorers do not damage other planets, moons and objects in space.

"Planetary protection is concerned with the avoidance of organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration," NASA wrote in the job posting on its website late last month.

Other duties include advising Safety Mission Assurance officials on planetary protection matters and ensuring compliance by robotic and human spaceflight missions.

The role is open to those with "broad engineering experience" and a willingness to travel.

It is not for those shy of responsibility, however. The Planetary Protection Officer role is one of just two such full-time positions in the world, according to Business Insider, and comes at the requirement of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. The other position is with the European Space Agency.

Applications are open until August 14, 2017. The post is for an initial period of three years, though may be extended for an additional two.

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