LEAD ENGINEER - SR. RESEARCH ENGINEER - Spacecraft Command & Data Handling at Southwest Research Institute

Who We Are:

The Spacecraft Development Department is a group of innovative engineers, program managers, and technicians developing unique spacecraft solutions for challenging space missions. We design and fabricate custom solutions to explore the boundaries of science or solve complex problems not yet delivered by industry using a variety of payloads.

Objectives of this Role:

• Work in multidisciplinary project teams to design, analyze, and build cutting edge spacecraft to enable the next generation of spaceflight exploration.
• Provide technical leadership for command and data handling (C&DH) subsystem development across the full program life cycle.
• Interface with customers and support design reviews to justify design decisions.
• Support and lead R&D and promotional efforts to develop and implement new technologies.
• Provide innovative technical solutions to design challenges.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Develop electrical power subsystem requirements and verification planning and perform analyses necessary for development of a spacecraft C&DH subsystem.
• Lead supervision and design efforts for spacecraft C&DH systems as well as fabrication efforts for electrical C&DH subsystem spaceflight hardware.
• Test hardware to demonstrate robustness against the environmental conditions of launch and space.
• Develop technical reports for mission status and materials for internal and external reviews; propose and perform internal research to improve technology and establish competitive advantage.
• Mentor junior engineers and develop best practices to aid the development of spacecraft.

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors or a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 5-10 years: Design experience required with demonstrated experience as a command and data handling subsystems lead.
• Avionics development and Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) experience preferred.
• Spacecraft or space system development experience for NASA, DoD, or commercial applications preferred.
• Demonstrated technical excellence through a variety of challenging assignments, work under moderate to minimal supervision, and demonstrated ability for having accountability for completing assignments.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.