Onsite Hypersonics 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 NASA Ames Research Center’s TPS program and ARCTRON capabilities on-site at Moffett Field, CA.

The role focuses on advanced diagnostics for high-temperature plasmas and material testing. You will develop optical and in-situ plasma diagnostics, quantify uncertainties, and collaborate across experimental and computational teams to advance TPS research.

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

Aerospace Engineering

Experimental methods

Data analysis

Python / MATLAB

Diagnostics development

Education

Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Optical Diagnostics

CT scanning

Tomography

Spectroscopy equipment

Job description

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. seeks a High-Enthalpy Diagnostics Engineer to support NASA Ames Research Center’s TPS program and ARCTRON capabilities on-site at Moffett Field, CA.

The role focuses on advanced diagnostics for high-temperature plasmas and material testing. You will develop optical and in-situ plasma diagnostics, quantify uncertainties, and collaborate across experimental and computational teams to advance TPS research.