Senior Engineer Technical Lead and Project Manager

Job Description:

AMA is seeking an experienced Aerospace Engineer to provide support for NASA Langley Research Center on our RSES contract. This position is concerned with development engineering and management using specific professional experience with a combination of approaches, including arc-jet facility testing and execution, computational fluid dynamics and thermal analysis of these facilities and associated test articles, and systems-level management and analysis of hypersonic materials/structures and spacecraft reentry systems, advancing the state of the art and producing new or substantially improved products and processes. Using subject matter expertise as a senior aerospace engineer, technical lead, and project manager, the position includes duties to support NASA Langley's High-Speed Flight (HSF) project in the Aeronautics Research Directorate and the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) Portfolio in the Space Technology Exploration Directorate, and the individual will perform the following duties.

The salary range for this position is $135,000-$150,000, commensurate with education and experience.

• Associate project management of core functions in HSF and HIAD Portfolio projects. Serve as a technical liaison for coordinating, facilitating, drafting, reviewing, and project approval of public private partnership contractual actions and agreements for implementation in a timely manner.

• Technical point of contact and/or contracting representative for government contracts in materials research, development, and testing and will verify contributions and partnerships align within scope and strategies of each project.

• Lead and works alongside contract and civilian aerospace engineers to perform various duties to incorporate new technologies, improve reliability, and extend the life of an aerospace vehicle.

• Serve as the HIAD Portfolio and HSF lead thermal engineer, managing thermal engineering support for structures, systems, instrumentation, assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) based on mission requirements, budget, schedule, and risk posture.

• Work closely with project management and technical leadership teams to define scope and priorities of activities and personnel associated with all tasks which require support from the thermal team. Generally, this includes tasks associated with development and verification of thermal requirements, thermal design/modeling/analysis, AI&T support, thermal testing, and project-level reviews.

• The individual serves as the primary interface between the thermal team and project management and other project technical leads as well as outside stakeholders such as contractors, partners, and review boards. The individual is considered an integral part of the engineering development team and should be sufficiently aware and knowledgeable of the aeroshell and hypersonic designs, materials, fabrication, integration, and testing so that thermal modeling/analysis/design/testing efforts can be guided and parameterized appropriately.

• Performs multiple functions in planning, research, design, development, test and evaluation, cost analyses, and technical management. Monitors contracted work either externally or on-site in the facility of the contractor.

• Serve as the subject matter expert involving work with theoretical, computational, or experimental studies utilizing various techniques and equipment with arc jet test facilities and support associated with verification of studies and design activities with this specialty to include test planning, computational fluid dynamics and thermal analyses (pre/post-test) and real-time monitoring with the responsibility of assuring appropriate environmental test conditions have been attained.

• Conduct research or specialized studies related to and impacting flight vehicles, including uncertainty quantification and evaluation of radiation, convection, and conduction heat transfer within solids and fluids and computational fluid dynamics. The work involves study of the time-dependent radiative, convective, and conductive heating variables affecting temperature distribution, heat transfer, and the study of means of controlling or minimizing the flow of heat or dissipating/absorbing heat through techniques such as radiation, transpiration cooling, mass transfer, chemical reactions, heat sinks, and selective surfaces/finishes/coatings.

• The study of heat transfer in high-speed flow, mechanical components, propulsion systems, ground test articles (arc-jet and environmental), calibration probes, space structures, spacecraft and spacecraft components, optical systems, and ground systems including ground support equipment and test facilities, etc.

• Sufficient knowledge and experience analyzing catalytic heating behavior of various material systems, including high-temperature alloys and high-temperature refractory composites with various surface/coating technologies.

• The ability to obtain a Top Secret clearance.

• Active TS/SCI clearance

• 10+ years of experience in arc-jet testing

• 10+ years of multidisciplinary systems engineering experience in computational fluid dynamics and thermal analysis of high-temperature materials, aeronautical structures, and spacecraft reentry systems

• Experience in program/project management

U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence is required.

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt, MD; Huntsville, AL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Mountain View, CA; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. With over 60 years of experience, AMA specializes in aerospace engineering, science, analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. AMA combines the best of engineering, science, and mathematics capabilities with the latest in information technologies, visualization, and multimedia to build creative solutions. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including but not limited to paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability plans, and a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options.

AMA is committed to the professional growth of every employee, understanding that the successes of our employees drive our success. We provide a work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive. To learn more about our company, please visit our website at www.ama-inc.com/careers and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

AMA is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under federal, state, or local laws.