GNC Engineer/Electrical (NASA Program - Sounding Rockets)

Seeking an engineer to work in the Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) section. This position will require an individual to be able to work individually and work in a team environment.  Applicant will work on a variety of projects, typically multiple at any one time.  Applicant will be the Attitude Control System or GNC engineer for sounding rocket missions.  This position supports NASA’s Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC) at the Wallops Flight Facility.  NSROC supports approximately 20 sounding rocket shots per year.  This program supports a range of scientific and government experiments.  Missions are flown from a variety of launch sites including Wallops, White Sands Missile Range, Poker Flats Rocket Range, Alaska, Kwajalein, Andöya, Norway, and Svalbard.  Applicants are encouraged to read about the Sounding Rocket Program and familiarize themselves with the Wallops Island area prior to applying. The application will support system development throughout the entire mission life cycle including launch at remote sites.  Travel is required.  Typical travel to the remote launch site lasts 4 to 6 weeks. This position requires the ability to understand and apply a broad range of technical disciplines germane GNC problems. 

These areas include but are not limited to: 

• Control systems design and analysis, attitude and navigation solutions, software (C and others, real-time applications), electrical H/W – digital and mixed-signal, mechanical systems, cold gas pneumatics, and various sensors including rate gyros, inertial measurement units, star trackers, accelerometers, and magnetometers.
• The applicant is expected to provide to specifically contribute to electrical H/W and S/W development and analysis related to this section’s work. 
• Electrical H/W can include microprocessors, FPGA’s, and mixed signal handling. 
• The applicant also must be able to adeptly communicate GNC concepts within the program and to the customer in written, oral, and presentation formats. 
• The Applicant will be working with high pressure pneumatics systems.
• Perform analyses of attitude control systems, attitude control problems, navigation issues, sensor performance and their contribution to system performance.
• Applies comprehensive knowledge of engineering concepts, procedures and practices to GNC problems.
• Participate in technical design/modification negotiations with customers.
• Present system designs and analyses to customer and a variety of technical disciplines.
• Performs system integration and testing of in-house and subcontractor-supplied ACS and BGS systems.
• Analyze post-flight data and redesigns or modifies equipment to improve performance.
• Perform integration tests to validate assemblies.
• Contribute to the development of new engineering products or specialty products and develop engineering specifications for applicable projects.
• Design, development, manufacturing, refurbishment and evaluation of hardware relevant to ACS Sensors and Pneumatic Attitude Control Systems
• Develop the ability to support the configuration of software for attitude control systems and associated hardware and support equipment.
• Work with data from various attitude sensors including particularly a roll gimbal mounted fiber optic gyro with on-board flight computer.
• Coordinate the efforts of multiple engineers, technicians, and fabrication areas.
• Test control systems which includes high-pressure hardware and electro-mechanical components relevant to the control payload attitude.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree (BA/BS) in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related degree
• 0 years engineering experience but with intern or co-op experience
• Aptitude for electrical H/W design
• Ability to understand and apply basic kinematics and dynamics
• Ability and aptitude to perform both hand-on and analytical engineering work
• MATLAB or equivalent experience
• MS Office proficiency

Desired Qualifications:

• MS or higher in related discipline (reduces experience requirement)
• 2 years (or more) engineering experience; position level can be adjusted commensurate with experience
• Demonstrated control system capability
• Demonstrated C or C# Programming capability
• GNC related experience

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