Satellite Payload Engineer

Serves as Satellite Payload Engineer with emphasis in Digital Receiver Processors Responsible for multi-payload digital receivers/processor path to flight as primary technical expert. Develops, integrates and documents RF and SW development (C, Python, etc.) requirements to establish the component or system level design for satellite product lines. Coordinates with other engineering groups to establish the product's environment and loads development. Guides product design including all requirements from other engineering organizations to meet customer needs. Understanding of analysis tools and ability to lead design throughout the product life-cycle to develop the engineering requirements, design, characteristics, performance and test/integration.

This position requires an active (or ability to obtain) U.S. Security Clearance, for which the US Government requires US Citizenship.

Clearance Level Must Currently Possess: Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph Clearance Level
Must Be Able to Obtain: Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph (BI current if not active)
Potential for Teleworking: No
Travel: Potentially Yes, estimated up to 25% of the time
Shift: Day
Job Schedule: Full-time

Primary Design/Testing Responsibilities:

• Supports end-to-end payload development with experience in the maintenance and verification of segment-level payload requirements and evaluation of specifications, Concept of Operations (CONOPS), development, verification plans, procedures and results, test data, and qualification and acceptance test plans and results.
• Apply knowledge of hardware and software to the receiver development including ASIC and FPGAs, memory, data busses, analog-to- digital converters, and processing algorithms.
• Understanding of size, weight, and power; thermal analysis; mechanical analysis; shock and vibration and effects of EMI/EMC manufacturability/producibility; reliability; parts materials and processes discipline and radiation effects.
• Oversee payload design updates with an understanding of all performance and spacecraft impacts due to changes/updates
• Performs as the Payload Certified Principal Engineer (CPE) in the technical integrity of highly complex RF downconverter hardware.
• Ensure the hardware meets all requirements and mission objectives.
• As part of the team develops the design, manufacturing, and test of the payload hardware, ensuring a balance in execution between technical requirements, program cost and delivery schedule.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining procurement specifications and interface control documents.
• Works with MSP analysts and systems engineering to ensure the payload hardware will meet system level requirements for performance and other Technical Performance Measurement (TPM)s such as size, weight and power.
• Coordinates the review and approval of all contract Subcontractor Data Requirements List (SDRL)s and for acceptance of hardware delivered under the contract.
• Performs or coordinates integration, test and verification events to support system level requirements.
• Provides periodic status to senior program management and to the customer at monthly reviews and more frequent informal communications.
• Apply program management knowledge to achieve technical performance within cost and schedule constraints.
• Identify risks to program plans, develop corrective action plans, conduct ECP reviews and technical evaluations, cost and schedule evaluations, proposal evaluations, formulate budgets.
• Support payload modification and modernization investigations and studies, assessing proposed designs and evaluation of alternatives to support development, technology insertion candidates, and future payload initiatives.
• Identifies, develops, and defines functional and physical requirements in conjunction with other organizations by reviewing previous designs/lessons learned, regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and/or contracts in order to support proposals, studies, and/or produce higher quality and more efficient detail designs.
• Prepares preliminary design with layouts, lofts, sketches, preliminary strength analysis to support trade studies, develop structural technology, testing requirements, materials, processes, and tools, define interfaces.
• Coordinates with engineering disciplines and operations, customers, and supply chain to create final layouts, statement of work, estimates of resources, schedule, cost, weight, and risk in preparation for detail design and to verify that design requirements have been met.
• Prepares and documents designs using accepted design practices to meet requirements and objectives in support of product certification and delivery.
• Refines the configuration by following regulatory and company approved processes and procedures to ensure hardware compatibility and conformance to engineering definitions.
• Provides on-going configuration refinement and production support to suppliers and manufacturers to sustain and improve production.
• Provides external product support to maintain and/or improve continued product performance and safety.
• Assists in the development of project plan and assists in managing engineering project, in a global environment, in support of program goals.
• Assists in the integration of project plan by communicating/coordinating with other affected groups, customers, partners and suppliers, to ensure that structural design requirements are met. Provides input to status reports.

Secondary Design/Testing responsibilities:

• Adheres to all bid and proposal policies and procedures.
• Assists in developing tools, techniques and products in response to gaps in technology road maps, and technology needs.
• Assists in advancing state of the art technologies.
• Creates plans, schedules, and procedures for tests of structural components and systems. Supports testing (e.g. environmental simulations, ground functional and qualification tests, flight tests). Evaluates test data to validate components and systems against design requirements and objectives.
• Performs similarity and other verification analyses.

Secondary Design/Testing responsibilities:

Education & Experience:

Degree and typical experience in radio frequency systems (one or more of Communications, signal processing, RF engineering, Antennas, or electromagnetic) Bachelor's with 10 or more years' experience, Master's/PhD degree with 8 or more years. Bachelor, Master or Doctorate of Science degree from an accredited course of study, in electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics or astronautics.

Desired Skills:

• Excellent communications skills.
• Spacecraft RF and/or digital payload hardware development experience.
• Advanced RF down-converter knowledge and experience.

Basic Qualifications:

• Experience with development of technical specifications for complex space hardware.
• Demonstrated experience in managing hardware component development from system requirements definition, design, integration and test through acceptance testing and verification.
• Experience with CAD design tools.
• Candidates must be able to work with large teams of Governments, FFRDC and SETA contractors as well as development contractors.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in electrical engineering preferred.
• Experience with Space based systems.
• Experience performing design and basic stress analysis using manual hand calculations.
• Good communicator and collaborator on multi-discipline teams.
• Experience with design and analysis of high modulus composites is desired.
• Experience as a Design engineering lead.
• Experience managing/leading engineering projects.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers.