M1 Senior Systems Engineer

Senior Systems Engineer (SSE) – Primary Mirror Subsystem (M1S)

Manager: Primary Mirror Subsystem Manager

Type: Full time

The GMT project is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer (SSE) to join the Primary Mirror Subsystem (M1S) team, responsible for the active optics, static support, and thermal control systems of the primary mirror. The active optics control system consists of pneumatic actuators that support the weight and control figure error of the mirror segments and linear actuators that position the mirror segments.

Additionally, thermal figure error is controlled by actively regulating each mirror segment temperature using air handler units with CO2 refrigerant. The M1S team has completed optical testing using the prototype active optics control and thermal control system and is now incorporating lessons learned. Our next major milestone is preparing for the Final Design Review (FDR). The M1S team is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead the preparation for FDR including tracking resolution of non‑conformances, updating subsystem requirements, preparing the M1S team for peer reviews, maintaining subsystem requirements in IBM DOORS, updating Interface Control Documents (ICD), managing technical budgets, and managing M1S risks.

The candidate will be responsible for implementing GMT SE processes and best practices. The candidate will work closely with the M1S and Systems Engineering teams to make sure that key performance requirements are properly flowed down to M1S. The candidate will coordinate all M1S reviews and will be the liaison between the M1S team and its review committee. This includes writing Terms of Reference (ToR) before the reviews, identifying the review committee, setting up contracts and NDA for the review committee, organizing the peer reviews and FDR, and formal close‑out of actions afterward.

The candidate will work with the M1S team to identify new risks and regularly status the current set of risks.

The candidate must be experienced in working with multidisciplinary teams that have successfully delivered complex, high‑precision opto‑mechanical systems. The candidate will be responsible for coordinating the M1S team with weekly technical discussions. The candidate will work on high‑level documentation such as the M1S Requirements document, the M1S Architecture document, and all lower‑level requirement documents that establish the baseline design of the subsystem.

The candidate must have good communication skills and be able to represent the M1S team in a professional manner both internally and externally to GMTO. The candidate is expected to be a motivated self‑starter who can work with and lead engineers to resolve technical problems and establish approaches for solutions.

• Manage implementation of lesson learned: lead discussions of technical issues, resolution of issues, closure of corrective actions, and track status of issues.
• Lead the development of M1S FMECA.
• Develop documentation such as requirement specifications, interface control documents, AIT Plan, AIVC Plan, Verification Plan, procedures (assembly and test), terms of reference for reviews, change request, and technical notes.
• Manage requirements in IMB DOORS. This includes imputing requirements into DOORS, flowing down requirements, linking of requirements between child and parent, setting verification methods, describing the rationale for the requirements, and maintaining the overall structure of the document.
• Manage interfaces between M1S and other telescope elements. This includes coordination with the M1S design team to set design envelopes, locations of the interfaces which includes maintenance of feature coordinates and developing/maintaining interface control identifiers (ICIs) within the ICDs. Coordination with the other elements to report proposed changes within the M1S design that may affect the other side of the interface.
  
  Check the M1S design meets those interfaces and help resolve any non‑conformances.
• Manage M1S verification and validation. Working closely with SE to implement the V&V process for M1S, support generation of test reports, identify areas of non‑conformance, and…