Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I, II, or III

The University of Texas at Austin; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

The Center for Space Research at The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I, II, or III to carry out spaceflight engineering activities for GRACE Follow-On and related missions. This role spans mission design, flight dynamics, requirements verification, science traceability, and operations support.

Candidates should have degrees in aerospace engineering and experience in data analysis, programming (Python, MATLAB, FORTRAN, C++), and are expected to

Qualifications

• RESA I: Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related field.
• RESA II: Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field or BS with two years’ experience.
• RESA III: MS with two years’ experience in Aerospace Engineering or a related field, or BS and four years’ experience in Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• For all levels: Familiarity with space flight environment and spaceflight systems engineering.
• Strong foundation in aerospace systems and space flight dynamics.
• Programming and data analytics skills.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

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 the development of science data systems for upcoming missions, including data pipelines, analysis and visualization tools, quality analysis and quality control strategies, and integration with mission 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.

Skills

Spaceflight engineering

Data analysis

Programming

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field

BS with two years’ experience in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

FORTRAN

C++

Job description

Job Posting Title

Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I, II, or III

Hiring Department: Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: To Be Determined at Offer

Earliest Start Date: Ongoing

Position Duration: Expected to Continue

Location: PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS

Job Details: General Notes US permanent residency or citizenship is required due to sponsor requirements.

About Us

The Center for Space Research (https://csr.utexas.edu) is an Organized Research Unit of the Cockrell School of Engineering. Our mission is to carry out scientific research from spaceborne platforms, in service to society, while educating all. With over $10 million in annual funding from various federal sponsors, and working on four operating space missions, the CSR team is at the forefront of architecting, operating, and science analysis for space missions. These missions use tracking measurements of orbital motion or the measurements of the force field near the satellite to make inferences about planet Earth. For us, the satellite is the instrument, so that our understanding of the aerospace engineering of the space mission is intimately connected with our scientific data analysis. Our Earth science data products are recognized globally as setting the standard, and are utilized by geoscience investigators worldwide. Our staff and students engage and research the latest data science paradigms together with deep physical insights to carry out “parts-per-billion” discovery. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — UTCSR embodies UT Austin’s pioneering history in spaceflight and discovery from space. Join us and work on the complete life-cycle of space missions, in operation, in implementation, and in formulation phases. CSR employees work with mission teams at national labs and with international partners for the implementation of flight missions and scientific data analysis. For an early career engineer, this job offers an excellent opportunity to learn, to contribute, and to gain a variety of aerospace skills in a collegial, informal environment while visibly making a mark in the profession.

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
• Defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

For more details, please see Benefits | Human Resources and UT Austin Employee Experi ence | Human Resources and UT Austin Employee Experience | Human Resources.

Purpose

The RESA I, II, or III is needed to carry out spaceflight engineering activities in support of our engagement with the GRACE Follow-On, GRACE-Continuity, and the QGG Pathfinder missions operated or in development by an international team led by Caltech/Jet Propulsion Lab. The needed work spans the gamut of spaceflight engineering including mission design, flight dynamics, requirements verification for flight systems, science traceability and requirements flowdown, and support for operations and science analyses.

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 (thermal, radiation, orbital dynamics, etc.).
• Support the development of science data systems for upcoming missions, including data pipelines, analysis and visualization tools, quality analysis and quality control strategies, and integration with mission 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 a related field.
• RESA II: Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related field or BS and two years' experience in Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• RESA III: MS and two years’ experience in Aerospace Engineering or a related field, or BS and four years’ experience in Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• For all levels: Familiarity with space flight environment and spaceflight systems engineering.
• Strong foundation in aerospace systems and space flight dynamics.
• Ability to carry out spaceflight analysis, including relevant data analysis.
• Programming and data analytics skills.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong verbal communication and teamwork skills; technical writing skills; analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills; time-management skills to enable on-time project delivery.
• Ability to take the initiative and drive for results, and to work effectively in an interrupt-driven, fast-paced and rapidly changing environment.
• Proficiency in, or demonstrated ability to quickly become proficient in: Systems engineering practices (requirements, verification & validation, interface control).
• Ability to analyze flight telemetry and housekeeping data to assess spacecraft health and space environment effects.
• Proficiency in data analysis and programming (Python, MATLAB, FORTRAN, C++ or similar).
• Familiarity with database management systems, in particular TimescaleDB/PostgreSQL and/or MongoDB.
• Familiarity with visualization interfaces such as Grafana and Plotly.

Salary Range

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

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity (ex: using a mouse)
• Climbing of stairs

Work Shift Monday – Friday, typical office hours plus occasional after-hours work.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Employment Eligibility

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following: 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 of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031. The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.