SMAS Subject Matter Expert

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Casual - Part Time Professional Wallops Island, VA, Wallops Island, VA, US

3 days ago Requisition

Salary Range: $55.00 To $65.00 Hourly

ARES is seeking a highly skilled Electrical Engineer specializing in Flight Termination Systems (FTS) to join our aerospace engineering team in the Safety & Mission Assurance Division at Wallops Flight Facility. This role is critical to ensuring the safety, reliability, and compliance of launch vehicle operations. The engineer will review designs, test, and certify FTS hardware and electronics that meet stringent regulatory and mission requirements.

ARES is the prime contractor for the Safety and Mission Services (SMASS III) contract at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), with locations in Greenbelt MD and Wallops Island VA. ARES provides full life cycle hardware and software quality oversight, reliability and risk assessments, system safety design and operational support and related services to NASA’s science and exploration missions and ground support elements, including the Roman Space Telescope (RST), and Dragonfly (Titan moon) probe.

ARES also provides flight safety analysis and operational surveillance support for NASA/Wallops orbital and suborbital rockets, balloons, and other aerial projects.

• Review the Design of electrical circuits, wiring harnesses, and control systems for FTS.
• Perform system integration and verification testing to ensure compliance with NASA Range Safety and FAA/DoD regulations.
• Collaborate with avionics, propulsion, and systems engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of FTS into launch vehicles.
• Review and conduct failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and reliability assessments.
• Support ground and flight testing, troubleshooting, and anomaly resolution of Flight Termination Systems.
• Review technical documentation, schematics, and compliance reports and provide recommendations and reports to certification authorities.
• Stay current with evolving standards and safety requirements in aerospace flight termination systems.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace or defense electronics, preferably with FTS or safety-critical systems.
• Strong knowledge of Radio Frequency (RF) systems, command destruct receivers, and high-reliability circuit design.
• Familiarity with NASA, MIL-STD, and FAA range safety and FTS requirements.
• Hands‑on experience with environmental testing (thermal, vibration, Electromagnetic Interference/Electromagnetic Compatibility).
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and ability to work in cross‑disciplinary teams.
• Security clearance may be required depending on program.

• Experience with launch vehicle avionics and telemetry systems.
• Knowledge of redundancy design and fault‑tolerant architectures.
• Prior work with government ranges (e.g., NASA Wallops Island, Eastern Range, Western Range).
• Familiarity with DO-254 certification processes.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to mission‑critical aerospace systems that safeguard lives and national assets. You’ll be part of a team pushing the boundaries of spaceflight safety and reliability.

ARES offers a competitive compensation and benefit package. Full time employees may participate in:

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Critical Illness & Accident Insurance

ARES is an equal opportunity employer and complies with E‑Verify
. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive culture. We are committed to non‑discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law. ARES shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60‑1.4(a), 60‑300.5(a) and 60‑741.