Nuclear Hardness & Surivivability Engineer - Senior Member of Technical Staff

The Aerospace Corporation; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health care and wellness

401(k) plan with employer match

Relocation assistance

Education assistance programs

Inclusive work environment

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking a qualified professional to join the Nuclear Hardness & Survivability (NH&S) team in the Mission Payloads Division. You will perform radiation analyses for satellite electronics, review test plans, and contribute to survivability assessments for space environments.

This on-site role in El Segundo requires a strong physics/engineering background, 5+ years of experience, and the ability to obtain a US security clearance.

Qualifications

• Degree in physics, nuclear engineering, or related field.
• Five+ years of related engineering experience; advanced degree counts.
• Proficient programming with scientific computing languages like MATLAB, Mathematica, IDL, Python, or C++.
• Ability to obtain and maintain US security clearance; US citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Learn to perform Nuclear Hardness and Survivability (NH&S) analyses for satellite electronics units and missile systems.
• Understand test plans and radiation testing of electronic components.
• Prepare survivability analyses for space environments (micrometeoroids, atomic oxygen, SPEs).
• Review radiation requirements and compliance at program reviews (PDRs/CDRs).
• Review industry survivability/radiation plans and implement best practices.

Skills

Math/Physics basics

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Physics or Nuclear Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

IDL

Mathematica

Job description

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space. At the Mission Payloads Division (MPD), we are pioneers in remote sensing systems that guide our country’s space enterprise. Our talented and dynamic people create and flourish in electronics, sensors, radar, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced data network domains. We boldly advance technology through our research and development and then forward to demonstration and integration. With innovative laboratories and prototyping, MPD delivers groundbreaking results. We guide our Department of Defense, intelligence community, and civil clients to enhance national productivity and security and tackle the most critical missions.Bring your intelligence and creative spirit and join us at MPD! The Nuclear Hardness & Survivability (NH&S) department resides within MPD. Our staff includes technical leaders and subject matter experts in the areas of radiation survivability of electronic components/ hardware units in a natural and man-made space environment. Our expertise, combined with modeling and analysis capabilities, enables NH&S to deliver trusted assessments and recommendations to national security space systems and commercial customers.Take this opportunity to apply to the Aerospace NH&S department for the opportunity to work on cutting edge science with immediate mission impact. The selected candidate will be required to work full-time on-site at our facility in El Segundo, CA

What You’ll Be Doing

• Learn to perform Nuclear Hardness and Survivability (NH&S) analysis for satellite electronics units, subsystems, payloads, and missile systems
• Understand test plans and test reports for radiation testing of electronic components against requirements on total dose, displacement damage, prompt dose rate latchup/upset, and single event effects
• Learn to prepare survivability analyses for space environments such as micrometeoroids, atomic oxygen, solar energetic particles, and single event effects
• Understand plans and procedures for component and box-level Flash X-ray testing
• Learn to perform radiation environment estimations using DTRA M&S tools (ASSIST, QPROMPT, DGBETS, GSCENARIO, PRPSIM, FAB4DA, EMREP, GAP-RF), testable hardware toolkit (THTk), FASTRAD, MCNP, SPENVIS, CREME96, GEANT4, Ansys Charge Plus, SIRE2, Warren and other radiation analysis tools
• Review and understand radiation requirements and compliance at PDRs, CDRs, and other program reviews as required
• Review of industry to review survivability/ radiation plans and implement best practices

Minimum Requirements:

• Degree in physics, nuclear engineering, or other related degree
• Five or more years of increasingly responsible and related engineering experience; Time spent obtaining advanced degree counts towards this.
• Proficient programming with scientific computing languages like Matlab, Mathematica, IDL, Python, or C++.
• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the US government.
• U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

• Advanced Degree Experience in Nuclear Hardness and Survivability
• Knowledge of radiation effects on electric components and systems
• Proven ability to review NH&S analyses and verify NH&S requirements are met
• Proficiency addressing SGEMP in design and analysis of flight hardware
• Skilled in performing radiation predictions using ASSIST, THTk, FASTRAD, MCNP, SPENVIS, CREME96 or other radiation tools
• Exposure to machine learning or artificial intelligence methods, and implementation experience
• Background evaluating electronic components for space flight units
• Expertise in electron/ proton/ neutron/ photon transport analysis
• Understanding of prompt dose effects
• Active TS/SCI or Q clearance

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills. (Min - Max) $100,300.00 - $150,400.00 Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change
• Engage with Impact
• Foster Innovation
• Deliver Results

Ways We Reward Our Employees

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
• Flexible spending accounts
• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
• Relocation assistance
• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
• Education assistance programs
• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at [e-mail] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.

Right Place

The Aerospace Corporation has over 26 locations nationwide, which allows us to build a workforce that will nurture the best ideas, and generate the most novel innovations and solutions to our nation’s toughest space enterprise challenges.

Right Path

Right Path Aerospace covers all stages of the space lifecycle, from concept to operations. We believe our people are our most valuable resource and that’s why we propel our employees forward in their careers through ongoing education, training, and professional development.

Right Purpose

We can all serve a mission much greater than ourselves, and at Aerospace that is exactly what we do. By hiring the industry’s most preeminent scientists and engineers, Aerospace advances emerging technologies that protect some of the most critical missions on Earth and above it.

Aerospace employees working in organizations with technical responsibilities are required to obtain a Security Clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for those positions.