Junior Mechanical Engineer; NASA Sounding Rocket Program

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Math, or Physics. (Mechanical or Aerospace engineering preferred)
• Zero to two years of experience.
• Working knowledge of Solid Works and Solid Works Simulation or similar design and analysis tools.
• Must be a US Citizen and ability to obtain a NASA PIV badge

NASA’s Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC) is a sub-orbital space flight program located at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), a part of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NSROC provides suborbital launch vehicles, payload development and field operations support to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The program enables the collection of Earth, Heliophysics and Astrophysics science.

The Mechanical Engineer will be a team member using principles of mechanical engineering; develop, design, analyze, test, and document sounding rocket payload systems, sub-systems, and GSE systems in support of the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC).

• Research, develop, design, and analyze sounding rocket mechanical structures, components, and equipment applying principles and techniques of mechanical engineering to fulfill mission requirements.
• Fulfill mission duties and requirements with teams of fellow engineers from Electrical, GNC, Flight Performance, LV Engineers under direction System Engineers and Mission Managers.
• Work with Solid Works and Solid Works Simulation for design and analysis efforts.
• Manage Mass Properties and Gravimetrics of concepts, designs, and actual measurements of flight hardware.
• Create Design and Manufacturing Documentation with Solid Works
• Submit documentation to Production and provide oversight of fabrication in NSROC Machine Shop and provide assembly drawings and procedures to Mechanical Technicians staff.
• Direct and coordinate activities involved in assembly, operation, problem resolution, and repair of sounding rocket mechanical structures and systems; and create required processes and procedures.
• Coordinate and participate in environmental testing of sounding rocket components, subassemblies, and full payloads. To include generating test plans and loads, oversight and setup of testing, performing tests, validation of new designs, and interpreting results.
• Create documentation for design and testing, and present to a panel of peers and customers for review.
• Serve as lead mechanical engineer for sounding rocket missions and other program or project efforts.
• Brief customers on technical development projects and negotiate design modification if needed. May be responsible for cost and schedule requirements.
• Provide support for field operations when needed, including payload, ground, and launcher systems support
• Balance workload of numerous simultaneous projects & missions at different levels of development, (design, fabrication, testing, etc)
• Perform Mechanical engineering support assignments such as material management and procurement, peer review, and development projects
• Management of mechanical engineering assignments, and the development of new products and engineering specifications for applicable projects.
• Travel may occasionally be 2-4 weeks per year.