Human Performance Research Assistant (Engineer)

KBR, Inc.; Georgia; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR, Inc. at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX seeks a Human Performance Research Assistant (Engineer) to support the EVA and Environmental Physiology Lab, focusing on health, physiology, and performance for future space missions.

You will coordinate studies, assist in developing hardware, and ensure safety and data integrity in a high-stakes research environment. The role requires a biomedical engineering or physiology background with experience in human research, data acquisition, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering, physiology, or related science plus ~5 years of experience
• Experience conducting human health and performance research, including physiological monitoring and/or kinematic analysis
• U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident

Responsibilities

• Coordinate human research studies and engineering evaluations
• Support development of space suit environments to mitigate decompression sickness
• Support CO2 exposure evaluation, EVA physiological characterization, and modeling
• Implement research activities defined in strategic roadmaps
• Prepare study documentation such as IRB protocols, test plans, TRR packages, and progress reports
• Design and maintain data acquisition systems
• Perform equipment setup, calibration, and monitoring for tests and evaluations
• Monitor human subjects and collect physiological data during research studies and training

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Written & verbal communication

MS Office

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering, physiology, or related science

Master's degree in biomedical engineering, physiology, or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

Pro/E

Blender

Polyworks

MATLAB

Python

R

Job description

Title: Human Performance Research Assistant (Engineer)

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

Around here, we define the future.

We are a company of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers. But we all share one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely.

On the Human Health and Performance Contract we are at the forefront of safeguarding astronaut health, ensuring human performance, and advancing technologies for human space exploration. We are seeking an EVA & Environmental Physiology Lab Research Assistant at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX.

What You’ll Do:

In this role, you will support the EVA and Environmental Physiology Lab (EEPL), which focuses on enabling optimal human health, physiology, and performance in preparation for and during Extravehicular Activities (EVA)/spacewalk. You will contribute to engineering and human research efforts that develop, evaluate, and transition space suit health and performance capabilities, as well as new hardware and technologies required to support upcoming missions.

Your primary interfaces will span the NASA Human Health and Performance Directorate, human research study teams, human systems engineering, flight and medical operations, crewmembers, and human test subjects.

You will:

• Coordinate human research studies and engineering evaluations, including scheduling and integration with study teams and stakeholders
• Support of development and research of vehicle and space suit exploration atmospheres to mitigate decompression sickness
• Support CO₂ exposure evaluation, EVA/spacewalk physiological characterization, and development of computational models
• Implement research activities defined in strategic roadmaps
• Prepare study documentation such as IRB protocols, test plans, TRR packages, and progress reports
• Design and maintain data acquisition systems
• Perform equipment setup, calibration, and monitoring for tests and evaluations
• Monitor human subjects and collect physiological data during research studies and/or operational training, including at analog and field locations
• Perform other duties as assigned

What You Bring:

You bring experience supporting research, engineering evaluations, or operational activities in human performance or engineering environments. You use your experience and judgment to coordinate complex studies, ensure data quality, maintain safety standards, and communicate effectively with multidisciplinary teams. You comply with KBR’s Safety, Health and Environmental Plan, Quality Plan, and all safety policies and procedures, and complete all assigned training.

Your Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, physiology, or a related science field, plus approximately 5 years of experience, or an equivalent combination of graduate education and experience
• Experience conducting human health and performance research, including physiological monitoring and/or kinematic analysis
• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident

Desired:

• Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, physiology, or a related science field
• Experience evaluating hardware such as wearable sensors or other health‑related equipment
• Experience implementing operational studies evaluating human performance and human‑system interactions, especially related to spaceflight

Your Skills:

Required:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to support multiple projects with minimal oversight
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including formal and informal presentations
• Proficiency with standard PC and Microsoft Office tools

Desired:

• Experience with implementing human subject research
• Ability to critically analyze data and perform statistical analysis
• Experience with spaceflight analogs and/or simulations
• Experience preparing technical reports
• Experience with bioinstrumentation and data acquisition systems
• Experience with CAD and modeling tools (SolidWorks, ProE, Blender, Polyworks)
• Experience with MATLAB, R, Python, or equivalent programming tools

What to Expect

This position is expected to be 100% on site and 100% in person. Occasional travel may be required.

KBR Benefits

• 401K plan with company match
• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• AD&D
• flexible spending account
• disability
• paid time off
• flexible work schedule

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

KBR Benefits New | KBR

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to an ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.