Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I, II, or III

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive health benefits

Voluntary insurance options

Generous paid vacation and sick time

Defined benefit retirement plan

Tuition assistance

Employee discounts

Free access to libraries and museums

Job summary

A prominent research institution in Austin is seeking a Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I, II, or III to support spaceflight engineering activities for multiple missions. The ideal candidate must hold a degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related field, with variations in experience for each level. This role offers competitive health benefits and a generous vacation policy. Strong analytical skills and proficiency in programming are preferred. Join a team dedicated to advancing space research through innovative engineering solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field for RESA I.
• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field or BS with two years' experience for RESA II.
• MS with two years' experience or BS with four years' experience for RESA III.

Responsibilities

• Support spaceflight systems engineering activities, such as requirements development and verification.
• Perform data analysis of flight telemetry to monitor spacecraft health.
• Support development of science data systems for upcoming missions.

Job description

Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I, II, or III

Join the Center for Space Research (CSR) at the University of Texas at Austin. The CSR is an Organized Research Unit of the Cockrell School of Engineering, focused on scientific research from spaceborne platforms. Proven leaders in space missions, CSR operates four active missions and offers opportunities for early career engineers to contribute to the full life‑cycle of space projects.

Job Details

US permanent residency or citizenship is required due to sponsor requirements.

Benefits

• Competitive health benefits: employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%
• Voluntary vision, dental, life and disability insurance options
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds
• Additional voluntary retirement programs: Tax‑Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and deferred compensation 457(b)
• Flexible spending account for medical and childcare expenses
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning and professional conference opportunities
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin libraries and museums with staff ID card
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin Capital Metro buses with staff ID card

Purpose

The RESA I‑III is needed to conduct spaceflight engineering activities in support of the GRACE Follow‑On, GRACE‑Continuity, and QGG Pathfinder missions led by Caltech/JPL. Work spans mission design, flight dynamics, requirements verification, science traceability, and support for operations and science analysis.

Responsibilities

• Support spaceflight systems engineering activities, such as requirements development, interface definition, and verification & validation planning.
• Perform data analysis of flight telemetry and housekeeping data to monitor spacecraft health, evaluate system performance, and assess impacts of the space environment.
• Support development of science data systems for upcoming missions, including data pipelines, analysis and visualization tools, quality control strategies, and integration with operations.
• Conduct trade studies to evaluate alternative mission design approaches.
• Prepare clear technical reports, presentations, and briefings to communicate results, recommendations, and project status to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• RESA I: Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• RESA II: Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field, or BS and two years’ experience in the field.
• RESA III: MS and two years’ experience, or BS and four years’ experience in the field.

For all levels

• Familiarity with spaceflight environment and spaceflight systems engineering.
• Strong foundation in aerospace systems and spaceflight dynamics.
• Ability to carry out spaceflight analysis, including relevant data analysis.
• Programming and data analytics skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong verbal communication, teamwork, technical writing, analytical, critical thinking, problem‑solving, and time‑management skills.
• Ability to take initiative and drive for results in a fast‑paced, interrupt‑driven environment.
• Systems engineering practices (requirements, verification & validation, interface control).
• Flight telemetry and housekeeping data analysis for spacecraft health and space environment effects.
• Programming in Python, MATLAB, FORTRAN, C++ or similar.
• Database management systems such as TimescaleDB/PostgreSQL, MongoDB.
• Visualization interfaces such as Grafana, Plotly.

Salary Range

• RESA I: $70,000+
• RESA II: $80,000+
• RESA III: $90,000+

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard and mouse.
• Climbing of stairs.

Work Shift

Monday – Friday, typical office hours plus occasional after‑hours work.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Three work references, at least one a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important

For applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: submit resume first, then upload a new resume for subsequent apps. All required materials must be uploaded before submission.

Employment Eligibility

Regular staff employed for the last six continuous months are eligible. Promotion/transfer eligible staff may apply without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

Teacher Retirement System of Texas, with employer matching, requires at least 20 hours per week and 135 days in length.

Background Checks

Criminal history background check required for finalists.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin is an equal opportunity employer in compliance with all applicable laws.

Pay Transparency

UT Austin will not discriminate based on pay inquiries.

Employment Eligibility Verification

Accepted I‑9 form and required documents must be provided within three days of hire.

E‑Verify

• E‑Verify Poster (English and Spanish) – PDF
• Right to Work Poster (English) – PDF
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) – PDF

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations under Title IX and the Clery Act. The Clery Act requires notification of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report.