Design Assurance Systems Engineering Scientist

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 104,000 - 174,000; Full time

Job summary

The Space and Geophysics Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin seeks a Design Assurance Systems Engineer to advance GNSS mission-critical systems and DO-278A certification efforts at the Pickle Research Campus in Austin. The role involves translating sponsor requirements into verifiable design objectives and coordinating cross-functional teams to ensure safety and compliance.

You will elicit requirements, perform safety analyses, map to Design Assurance levels, and lead DA reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in science, applied science, or engineering.
• Three years of relevant professional work experience developing systems requirements and systems designs.
• Demonstrated experience with design assurance or safety/certification practices for technical systems (e.g. aviation, safety-critical, or other regulated industries).
• Demonstrated ability to design, develop, evaluate, and support the development of large and complex systems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate technical detail to staff and stakeholders of varying backgrounds and experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, both independently and collaboratively, with a strong commitment to contribution and enabling the entire team.

Responsibilities

• Elicit systems scope and requirements from stakeholders for use in systems designs, allocating and deriving requirements to support certification
• Conduct Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA) allocations and identify safety-critical system interfaces to define objectives for system safety
• Identify evidence supporting the achievement of Design Assurance (DA) levels and map to Design Assurance objectives
• Communicate work process, products, and results, including documentation, written reports, and briefs presented to stakeholders
• Participate in Agile process, backlog management, and project decomposition into components and actionable units of work
• Provide Design Assurance Engineering Analysis and DA Reviews support, including gap analysis based on the final Program Requirements Document (fPRD), Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA), and other safety artifacts
• Perform engineering estimates, guide project schedules, and identify dependencies
• Conduct engineering evaluations, such as trade studies, reliability analysis, functional analysis, risk analysis assessments
• Other related functions as assigned

Skills

Systems requirements

System design

Technical communication

Independent & team collaboration

Verbal and written communication

Agile work style

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Post-graduate degree (preferred)

Tools

MBSE tools

Structurizr

Jira

Job description

Design Assurance Systems Engineering Scientist

Job Details

• Position Open To: All Applicants
• Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40
• FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA
• Earliest Start Date: Immediately
• Position Duration: Expected to Continue
• Location: PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS
• Hiring Department: Applied Research Laboratories

Purpose

The Space and Geophysics Laboratory (SGL) delivers capabilities to government customers for various applications, from real-time data-intensive network operations to standalone remote field systems. We are seeking a systems engineer with design assurance expertise to join a growing team of engineers and scientists developing new capabilities for government sponsors and partners, in support of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as GPS. The work supports the development and DO-278A certification of mission-essential systems.

Responsibilities

• Elicit systems scope and requirements from stakeholders for use in systems designs, allocating and deriving requirements to support certification
• Conduct Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA) allocations and identify safety-critical system interfaces to define objectives for system safety
• Identify evidence supporting the achievement of Design Assurance (DA) levels and map to Design Assurance objectives
• Communicate work process, products, and results, including documentation, written reports, and briefs presented to stakeholders
• Participate in Agile process, backlog management, and project decomposition into components and actionable units of work
• Provide Design Assurance Engineering Analysis and DA Reviews support, including gap analysis based on the final Program Requirements Document (fPRD), Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA), and other safety artifacts
• Perform engineering estimates, guide project schedules, and identify dependencies
• Conduct engineering evaluations, such as trade studies, reliability analysis, functional analysis, risk analysis assessments
• Other related functions as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher, in science, applied science, or engineering.
• Three years of relevant professional work experience developing systems requirements and systems designs
• Demonstrated experience with design assurance or safety/certification practices for technical systems (e.g. aviation, safety-critical, or other regulated industries).
• Demonstrated ability to design, develop, evaluate, and support the development of large and complex systems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate technical detail to staff and stakeholders of varying backgrounds and experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, both independently and collaboratively, with a strong commitment to contribution and enabling the entire team.

US Citizen. Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information at the level appropriate to the project requirements of the position

Preferred Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in systems engineering, engineering management, engineering mechanics, operations research, industrial engineering, or related field
• Immediate or previous eligibility to classified information
• Five years of relevant professional work experience developing systems requirements and systems designs
• Understanding of software development processes according to RTCA DO-178C, DO-278A, and DO-331
• Experience in identifying and addressing Design Assurance (DA) gaps and conducting Compliance Audits for DO-278A
• Experience in a highly technical, safety-critical, or aviation related industry
• Work experience specific to GNSS observation and navigation data
• Demonstrated experience participating in an Agile project management using Jira or similar Agile management tools
• Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and techniques (experience with Structurizr is a plus)
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0

General Notes

An agency designated by the federal government handles the investigation as to the requirement for eligibility for access to classified information. Factors considered during this investigation include but are not limited to allegiance to the United States, foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations, drug involvement, the likelihood of continuation of such conduct, etc.

Salary Range

$104,000-$174,000+/negotiable, depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity
• Some weekend, evening and holiday work
• Possible interstate/intrastate travel

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest
• Unofficial college transcripts

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.