Software Engineer III

citjpl; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA/JPL, located in Pasadena, California, seeks a Software Engineer III to join the Software Defined Radios Group for the PROMISE telecom subsystem. You will develop and implement flight software for the Universal Space Transponder (UST) radio family, with a focus on software/firmware interfaces to FPGA and radio processors, supporting mission-critical telecom, radar, and instrument payloads.

You will work in a multidisciplinary team through all phases from concept to flight operations,

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in Electrical Engineering with at least 6 years of relevant software experience.
• Experience developing flight software and telemetry interfaces.
• Familiarity with FPGA and hardware interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Support telecom system engineering team with software requirements development
• Implement and validate spacecraft data and command/telemetry interfaces
• Own software interfaces to FPGA and mixed-signal hardware
• Develop and maintain comprehensive software documentation, including software management plan, software design documents, software requirements, and software test plans and test procedures
• Prepare and deliver software releases and related documentation

Skills

Software development

Embedded software

Education

BA/BS in Electrical Engineering

Job description

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That's our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers-literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission-your opportunity-is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you're driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you're ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

Responsibilities:

The JPL Communications and Instruments Division perform scientific investigations, advanced technology research, engineering developments and system implementations encompassing space telecommunications, tracking and active remote sensing using electromagnetic waves.

The Flight Communications and Tracking Section provides cost-effective space communications systems, software defined radios, high power RF amplifiers, and power supplies that support primary telecom subsystems and major radar and radiometer science payloads. The section also provides Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) flight equipment, radiometric science instruments, high stability frequency standards and clocks and seismometers for NASA/JPL missions. In addition to flight hardware expertise, the section specializes in collection of and processing of worldwide, fixed site, GNSS data that is processed into clock, atmospheric, and ionospheric GNSS correction metrics. The section also develops high stability frequency references and clocks for flight and ground applications.

The Flight Communications & Tracking Section at JPL is looking for a Software Engineer III to join their Software Defined Radios Group to support flight software development and implementation for the Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration (PROMISE) telecom subsystem. The Group leads the development of software / firmware defined digital flight electronics for telecom, radio metrics, and radar support applications. Work includes development and implementation of flight signal processing algorithms, complex spacecraft interfaces, and various data transfer and communications protocols that enable and support telecom, radar science, instruments, and spacecraft safety and health. Group members work on all phases of product development from early concept, low technology readiness specification and prototyping to engineering and flight model development and implementation, functional and environmental testing, and flight operations support.

PROMISE is a NASA lunar rover mission intended to explore the lunar south pole as part of the Moon Base program. As the PROMISE telecom Software Engineer, you will be responsible for the development, implementation, test, and delivery of the Boot Code Software and the Application Software designs that are part of the Universal Space Transponder (UST) radio family. You will be a member of the multidisciplinary implementation team consisting of approximately 7 full-time equivalent employees, industry partners, and subcontractors. You will report programmatically to the PROMISE Telecom Product Delivery Manager or the PROMISE Radio Cognizant Engineer and administratively to the Group Supervisor of the Software Defined Radios Group (362B).

Tasks may include but are not limited to:

• Support telecom system engineering team with software requirements development
• Implement and validate Spacecraft data and command/telemetry interfaces
• Support Spacecraft interface compatibility testing
• Own the software side of the interface to FPGA and mixed-signal hardware
• Implement and validate interfaces to the radio Modem Processor and Housekeeper FPGAs
• Support radio FPGA development and implementation team during FPGA firmware and software integration and testing
• Maintain the software release schedule, balancing critical delivery milestones with capabilities and resources of the team
• Support radio and subsystem integration, test, ATLO, and early operations
• Prepare and deliver presentations to technical and management review boards
• Provide input to programmatic and technical standards, practices, procedures, processes, and policies
• Support or lead flight software design, implementation, hardware test, and test data analysis
• Develop and maintain comprehensive software documentation, including software management plan, software design documents, software requirements, and software test plans and test procedures
• Support or lead flight software reviews and Software Readiness Certification Records (SRCRs)
• Generate software End Item Data Package (EIDP) and prepare software flight releases

Qualifications:

BA/BS degree in Electrical Engineering with a minimum of 6 years of re