Mission Engineer

ARES Corporation; Wallops Island (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

401(k) Plan

Paid Time Off & Holidays

Job summary

ARES Corporation in Wallops Island, Virginia, is seeking a Mission Engineer to provide technical leadership for telemetry systems supporting NASA missions. This role involves mission planning, RF performance analysis, and ensuring mission readiness.

The successful candidate will have a Bachelor's in Engineering and a minimum of five years experience in aerospace operations. ARES provides comprehensive benefits such as medical insurance, 401(k) plan, and paid time off.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting aerospace range operations.
• Experience performing RF link analyses and developing configurations.
• Demonstrated experience with telemetry ground systems.

Responsibilities

• Perform mission engineering activities supporting telemetry and RF systems.
• Conduct RF link analyses for mission downlinks and uplinks.
• Design and implement mission-specific configurations for telemetry assets.

Skills

Analytical skills

Systems engineering skills

Written and verbal communication skills

Experience with telemetry systems

Troubleshooting skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Telemetry processors

RF receiving systems

Data acquisition systems

Job description

About ARES Corporation

ARES Corporation is an employee-owned aerospace and engineering services company supporting critical national programs across NASA, the Department of Defense, and other Federal agencies. For more than 60 years, ARES has provided innovative engineering, mission operations, safety and mission assurance, information technology, and range support services for some of the nation's most complex aerospace missions. ARES is the prime contractor for the Wallops Range Contract supporting NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The contract provides mission-critical support for launch range operations, telemetry, radar, communications, engineering, maintenance, and sustainment activities supporting orbital and suborbital launch vehicles, sounding rockets, balloons, aircraft operations, and human spaceflight missions.

Position Overview

ARES is seeking a Mission Engineer to provide technical leadership and engineering guidance of complex range systems supporting NASA and customer missions worldwide. This position plays a critical role in mission planning, telemetry system configuration, RF performance analysis, mission readiness reviews, deployed site operations, and post-mission analysis. The successful candidate will support sounding rockets, expendable launch vehicles, UAS missions, scientific payloads, and Artemis-related human spaceflight network activities while ensuring mission success through the effective integration of telemetry, RF, instrumentation, and communications systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform mission engineering activities supporting telemetry, RF, instrumentation, and range systems for complex and high-visibility missions.
• Conduct detailed RF link analyses for mission downlinks and uplinks and evaluate predicted versus actual system performance.
• Design, implement, and verify mission-specific configurations, schematics, and test plans for telemetry ground stations and range instrumentation assets.
• Support mission planning and readiness activities including NASA mission reviews, readiness reviews, and launch support activities.
• Develop technical briefings and readiness assessments related to range instrumentation configurations, implementation plans, and mission risks.
• Serve as Site Lead for mobile telemetry and range instrumentation deployments, providing technical leadership for field teams and remote operations.
• Coordinate mission execution activities, resource planning, safety compliance, and real-time operational reporting during deployed missions.
• Generate and present post-mission engineering products including link analyses, tracking performance assessments, anomaly investigations, and mission performance reports.
• Support discrepancy tracking, risk identification, lessons learned activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Aerospace Science, ora relatedtechnical discipline.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience supporting aerospace range operations, mission engineering, telemetry systems, flight test operations, launch operations, or similar technical environments.
• Demonstrated experience with telemetry ground systems, including antennas, RF receiving systems, telemetry processors, data acquisition systems, and associated instrumentation.
• Experience performing RF link analyses and developing mission-specific technical configurations and test plans.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and systems engineering skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with customers, scientists, engineers, and mission operators.
• Ability to travel extensively and support extended deployments to remote domestic and international locations.
• U.S. Citizenshiprequired.

Desired Qualifications

• Previousexperience as a Site Lead, Mission Lead, or technical lead supporting deployed operations.
• Experience supporting sounding rockets, launch ranges, telemetry systems, or NASA mission operations.
• Experience supporting NASA Wallops Flight Facility or other government test and launch ranges.
• Experience generating post-mission analysis products, mission performance reports, and engineering assessments.
• Familiarity with NASA mission review processes including IPIRs, RRRs, LRRs, and post-flight reviews.
• Active Secret Security Clearance.

ARES Benefits

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

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• HSA/FSA Accounts
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• 401(k) Plan
• ESOP
• Paid Time Off & Holidays

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 60-741.5(a).