Thermal Protection Systems Engineer - Space Systems

Company Profile

Oceaneering Space Systems (OSS) develops, integrates, and applies new and innovative technologies to meet the challenges of working in space and other harsh environments.

We are ideally positioned to meet the growing needs of NASA and the expanding commercial and Department of Defense (DOD) markets.

Oceaneering Aerospace and Defense Technologies (AdTech) delivers solutions that enable humans to work safely and effectively in harsh environments - from underwater to the outer reaches of space.

Our innovative solutions support the development and application of practical, cost-effective systems that meet our customers' challenges - from routine to extreme.

Our experience and expertise across multiple industries uniquely positions us as a leader in the government, space, and maritime services markets.

Our products and services meet the rigorous demands of the complex environments in which they operate, delivering results without compromising safety or reliability.

Oceaneering is a global provider of engineered services and products, primarily to the offshore energy industry. We develop products and services for use throughout the lifecycle of an offshore oilfield, from drilling to decommissioning.

We operate the world's premier fleet of work class ROVs. Additionally, we are a leader in offshore oilfield maintenance services, umbilicals, subsea hardware, and tooling.

We also use applied technology expertise to serve the defense, entertainment, material handling, aerospace, science, and renewable energy industries.

Position Summary

Working under limited supervision, the Mechanical Design Engineer III or IV will design, develop, test, handle implementation, and perform analysis of technical products and systems as well as perform engineering design evaluations of Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) related softgoods products and mechanical / electromechanical hardware products and systems related to TPS, as well as develop documentation for internal or external customer review.

The work is in direct support of NASA / Aerospace customers and includes design / development / production of prototypes, test fixtures and test hardware / softgoods and flight hardware used for thermal protection of vehicles launched to low-earth orbit, cis-lunar orbit, and to the surface of the moon.

Duties & Responsibilities

Detailed design of softgoods, mechanical and electromechanical systems, subsystems, and components to be used for thermal protection on cargo vehicles and human r ated flight vehicles.

This includes thermal blankets, TPS and interfacing hardware to protect launch vehicle components and structures from the high heat resulting from launch and return to earth.

• Must apply engineering knowledge and principles and perform or oversee stress, thermal, and fluid dynamics analysis to achieve desired fit, form and function.
• Must maintain a high level of technical excellence for all tasks to ensure the highest quality of technical products including test setups, test operations, development setups, development operations, documentation generation, execution, and closeout.
• Must perform or oversee part tolerance analysis utilizing Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing and understand impact of thermal contraction / expansion from the surrounding thermal environment to ensure fit and function.
• Must have good understanding of Aerospace grade metallic and non-metallic material properties typically used for lightweight high strength TPS design applications.
• Must be able to generate or support the development of interface drawings that define detailed features for mechanical and thermal system interfaces for the hardware and TPS being developed.
• Must be able to design unique test fixtures and methods for test programs.
• Must be able to generate or support the development of requirement specifications, requirement verification and required system documentation such as procedures and hazard analyses.
• Must have the ability to present design concepts, design features, and design details in presentation format (e.g., PowerPoint) at various design gate reviews such that the audience can clearly understand how the performance requirements were incorporated into the design, the design is producible and affordable, and is or can be verified as meeting the requirement set.
• Must be able to work in a team environment that crosses multi-functional groups such as Design / Drafting, Analysis, Production, Quality Assurance, Health and Safety, Project / Program management, Accounting / Finance.
• Must have a good understanding of Manufacturing / Production process for hardware and softgoods products such that designs are producible at a reasonable price.
• Must have a good understanding of structural and thermal analysis processes in the development of hardware and softgoods such that the design(s) will withstand anticipated environments and perform fit, form, and function after exposure to the environments.
• Must be able to perform technical and safety risk assessment and mitigation.
• Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications

REQUIRED :

• BS or MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with 3-5 plus years direct experience in development of Thermal Protection Systems for launch vehicles and systems.
• Knowledge and experience in softgoods thermal protection systems design and development including familiarity with softgoods fabrication methods and techniques.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• US Citizenship required.

REQUISITION PREFERENCES :

• Ability to perform CAD modeling and generate manufacturing drawings using Solid Works or Pro-E Creo.
• Experience with ASME Y14.5 drawing standards and / or NASA Engineering Drawing System Manual JSC JPR 8500.
• Familiarization with JSC Fabrication Tolerances and Practices (SKZ36103755).
• Experience with spacecraft thermal protection systems and
• Experience with softgoods design and development and
• Experience with test support equipment and fixtures
• Familiarity with writing assembly procedures and technical reports
• Familiarity with testing such as thermal testing, structural testing, and life testing
• Experience using LabVIEW

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for all positions without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other non-merit factors