Space Environment Engineer Are you passionate about human space exploration, understanding the origins of the universe, and working with a passionate and diverse team to make a difference? If you are, we need you! We need your talent, teamwork, and energy to help us achieve great things that inspire people all over the globe. We need you to bring creative ideas and diverse backgrounds to help us envision, shape, and deliver systems that will enable the exploration of space while benefiting people here on Earth. We are excited about what we do, and we need you on our team as we take on exciting challenges for NASA's pursuits in deep space exploration. We have an exciting opportunity for a Space Environment Engineer to join our JETS II contract team at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.If selected you will: Provide support to NASA programs in the definition of natural and induced space environments, including with multidisciplinary analysis and modeling, working in concert with NASA civil servants and designated contractors Develop and update semi-empirical and theoretical models of processes relevant to spacecraft natural and induced environments Analyze/model molecular and particulate contamination sources, including lunar dust, and transport from materials outgassing, vacuum venting, and rocket engine and thruster pluming processes onto spacecraft, elements, and payloads Analyze optical property impacts from molecular and particulate contamination, including lunar dust, and exposure to orbital and lunar surface environments (e.g., to ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation, and atomic oxygen) Analyze/model plasma effects, spacecraft charging, radiation transport and effects on hardware Assess compatibility of spacecraft hardware with natural and induced space environments Provide systems engineering support in space environments requirements and verification plan development as well as requirement and verification activities throughout the life of a program Conduct systems engineering trade studies to identify potential risks and mitigations, evaluate induced environmental hazards between vehicles, and participate in hazard/risk reviews Participate in programmatic milestone reviews Perform other duties as required
Qualifications:
Typically requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree in Engineering and normally possess 5-10 years of related experience. License and certification may be required.3 or more years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.)Experience using Microsoft Office Suite Experience in scientific computer programming and software development for analytical and physics-based modeling and simulation Strong analytical and computational skills Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary field Effective written and verbal communication skills
Preferred Qualifications:
M.S. or Ph.D. in Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Nuclear), Physics or Chemistry5 or more years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.)Experience with NASA programs and projects, for example, Gateway and Artemis Experience with external contamination/molecular deposition analysis codes and/or tools including CAD, meshing, and visualization software (e.g., Matlab, Python, Creo, NX, FEMAP, Tecplot, ParaView, LS Dyna, etc.)Experience with materials outgassing, molecular transport, thin film deposition, optical property degradation, molecular gas dynamics, and/or multi-phase flows Experience with hypergolic and Hall Effect thrusters' operation as well as associated plume characteristics Experience with NASA and industry standards relating to contamination control and experimental characterization of materials outgassing (e.g., ASTM E1559) Knowledge of natural and induced space environments and related materials effects, including thermal vacuum stability, radiation (ionizing and UV), plasma charging, atomic oxygen, thermal cycling) Knowledge of lunar dust characteristics and effects, including for optical property and impact damage assessments, and of the lunar surface environment Knowledge of GCR, solar wind/plasma, CMEs/SEPs, and solar irradiance Experience with plasma charging and ionizing radiation analyses or related tools (NASCAP, SPIS, IRI, AE9/AP9, CREME96, SHIELDOSE, ESP/PHYCHIC, MCNP, HZTRAN, SPENVIS, etc.)Experience with the Linux operating system
Benefits:- Competitive pay
- Positive work-life balance 100% Employer paid insurance including: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term disability, and long-term disability11 paid holidays annually
- Generous PTO401k after 12 months of service with employer match
- Education assistance
- Relocation assistance (if applicable)
Mclaurin is a unique organization with a special focus on combining the best features of research and industry in order to foster innovation. Our organization strongly supports research, publication, and engagement with the academic community. We encourage our employees to remain on the cutting edge of new developments in their respective disciplines.
US Citizenship and the ability to pass a comprehensive security background investigation is required.
Mclaurin is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.
