Onsite High-Enthalpy Diagnostics Engineer

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc.; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. seeks a High-Enthalpy Diagnostics Engineer to support the TPS materials branch at NASA Ames Research Center. The role focuses on ARCTRON and related facilities, including diagnostics development, facility characterization, and data analysis for TPS research.

This is a full-time, on-site position at Moffett Field, CA. The candidate will create and apply advanced optical and plasma diagnostics, validate models, and collaborate with engineers, researchers, and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Aerospace, Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering field.
• Background in experimental aerothermodynamics, plasma physics, high-enthalpy testing, combustion, spectroscopy, optical diagnostics, or a related experimental research field.
• Experience planning, conducting, analyzing, and documenting experimental test campaigns.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis, scientific programming, or scripting for engineering analysis and data processing, such as Python, MATLAB, or comparable tools.
• Experience developing, applying, or interpreting diagnostics in high-temperature, plasma, flow, or other demanding experimental environments.
• Ability to document technical work and communicate experimental results clearly.
• Track record of publication of research findings in reputed international conferences and journals.
• Ability to collaborate across experimental, computational, diagnostic, and multidisciplinary research teams.
• Ability to work full-time on-site at NASA Ames Research Center and travel occasionally, as required.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute experimental campaigns in ARCTRON and other high-enthalpy, plasma, arc-jet, or related test environments.
• Develop, integrate, calibrate, and operate optical and in-situ plasma diagnostics, including optical emission spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence, imaging, and related techniques.
• Characterize ARCTRON operating conditions and diagnostic performance across priority test regimes.
• Develop measurement models and uncertainty-quantification methods for experimental diagnostics, including uncertainty propagation, thermal modeling, state estimation, and data-assimilation approaches.
• Conduct quantitative analysis of facility, diagnostic, and material-response measurements; compare experimental results with thermal, fluid, plasma, and other numerical models.
• Support TPS material characterization using division equipment, including CT scanning, tomography analysis, image processing, and ARCTRON testing.
• Prototype spatially resolved oxygen and argon temperature measurements using absorption spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence.
• Document test procedures, facility conditions, diagnostic configurations, calibrations, assumptions, uncertainties, and test results.
• Coordinate experimental activities with facility personnel, technicians, researchers, computational modelers, and collaborators.

Skills

Experimental aerothermodynamics

Plasma physics

High-enthalpy testing

Spectroscopy

Optical diagnostics

Python

MATLAB

Data analysis

Research publication

Collaborative work

Education

Master's degree in Aerospace/Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. seeks a High-Enthalpy Diagnostics Engineer to support the TPS materials branch at NASA Ames Research Center. The role focuses on ARCTRON and related facilities, including diagnostics development, facility characterization, and data analysis for TPS research.

This is a full-time, on-site position at Moffett Field, CA. The candidate will create and apply advanced optical and plasma diagnostics, validate models, and collaborate with engineers, researchers, and