Navigation Lead Engineer for Human Landing Systems (ES4)

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The Sr Aerospace Navigation Lead Engineer stewards a team of navigation engineers across NASA centers that perform independent navigation analysis and simulation for the Human Lander System (HLS) program to asses and communicate risk to the HLS Chief Engineer and HLS commercial partners. This position will require demonstrated strong leadership and communications skills as well as strong technical background, including deep space navigation, orbit determination, on-board navigation sensor modelling, accelerometers, gyros, IMUs, radar, lidar, sensor fusion, and Kalman filtering techniques. Navigation lead will direct work of navigation team that performs high fidelity analysis of the HLS navigation architecture to assess mission risk.

Description

The Amentum Space Exploration Division (ASED) Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) team is a high performing group executing challenging tasks to design and integrate GN&C systems for NASA projects ranging from NASA’s Space Launch System(SLS) to NASA’s Human Lander System. We are searching for highly qualified candidates to support NASA’s Flight Dynamics Team in the Guidance, Navigation, & Mission Analysis branch at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. This exciting work will serve as a critical step in sending humans back to the Moon, Mars and beyond!

ASED offers a partnership in which you can grow personally and professionally within a framework of strong leadership, competitive compensation, and rewarding career paths. Come join our team!

Job Functions:

• Lead the insight/oversight effort of the HLS GNC group (across NASA centers) with regards to all aspects of the navigation system
• Leading efforts for the Modeling and simulation of landing performance analysis of HLS trajectories
• Leading efforts for the integration of all relevant models into the simulation, including on-orbit estate estimation using ground tracking (e.g. range and doppler form Deep Space Network stations), on-board state estimation fusing inertial measurements with terrain relative sensing such as optical, radar, lidar measurements
• Stewards trade studies to assess navigation performance under dispersed model parameters to assess uncertainty of unknown model parameters, and evaluates navigation margins
• Assesses HLS commercial partner test data and partner sensors and models
• Develops in-house models and/or integrates sensor models from HLS commercial providers into 6-DOF simulations such as the GeneraLized Aerospace Simulation in Simulink (GLASS) tool
• Performs and stewards deep space navigation studies to assess HLS partner’s navigation performance using FreeFlyer, MONTE or JSC-Linear Covariance Tool (SIGMA)
• Execute/modify existing software/scripts in Python, Matlab, Fortran, C++
• Communicates naviation margin findings to HLS Chief Engineer and HLS commercial partners
• Maintains and strengthens NASA HLS cross-center navigation team
• Develops and coordinates with the GNC discipline strategic planning for growing navigation expertise at MSFC

Provide demonstrated (minimum of 10 years) expertise to support the Human Landing Systems (HLS) program navigation team at the level of a Subject Matter Expert, as part of the Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) discipline. Specifically, this task will entail technical leadership of a team of navigation engineers achieve safe Moon landing and return to Earth. Programming skills and mentoring abilities are highly desired.

Qualifications

A degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or related field from an ABET accredited institution is required. Typical experience requirements are:

• Ph.D., with minimum of 4 years of experience,
• MS with at least 8 years of experience, or
• BS with at least 10-15 years of experience

To be successful in this position, the applicant must be detail oriented, work independently and collaboratively, possess strong communication and interpersonal skills, and will typically possess some of the following skills:

• Orbit Determination and Deep Space Navigation (Free Flyer, ODTK, MONTE, GMAT, Linear Covariance)
• Radar, LIDAR experience
• IMU, accelerometer, rate gyro modeling, GPS
• Terrain Relative Navigation
• Kalman Filtering and sensor fusion.
• Dynamically model descent systems
• Python, Fortran, C++ , Matlab & Simulink programming experience
• Support the design, integration, and analysis of GN&C products.
• Configure, conduct, and analyze 6-DOF Monte Carlo simulations.
• Familiarity with Linux, Bash, and the use of computational clusters/servers
• Proof of U.S. Citizenship is required.

The candidate is REQUIRED to have the following skills and experiences:

• Significant navigation experience
• Technical leadership experience
• Deep space navigation including ground tracking orbit determination or similar experience
• Onboard strap on navigation, including IMU, Radar/Lidar, sensor fusion, and Kalman filtering or similar experience
   

Duties

Day to day activities include:

• Technical leadership of the HLS navigation team’s modeling and simulation of HLS system, including simulation integration, visualization, analysis, and trade studies
• Interfacing with commercial HLS partners and other NASA centers
• Debriefs to HLS partners and HLS Chief Engineers
• Perform and/or steward Deep Space Navigation studies, including Orbit determination accuracy of the HLS though its trajectory using FreeFlyer, MONTE and/or LinearCovariance (SIGMA) tools
• Dynamic modeling of the HLS trajectory
• Creating, editing and debugging software written in Python, Matlab, Fortran, and C/C++.
• Optimization and improvement of analysis tools and GN&C models.
• Working with GN&C leads and other engineering disciplines.
• Supporting the verification and validation of technical products.
• Preparing and presenting technical reports and briefings.

Essential Functions

Work Environment: 

Office environment. Requires ability to provide clear, concise, accurate and timely communication, both verbally and in writing (100%). Requires ability to interact professionally with co-workers, management, and client (100%). Requires travel in the domestic USA (5%).  Requires ability to work at a computer for long periods of time (100%).

Physical Requirements:

Requires sitting for extended periods of time in meetings with peers, management, and with our client at NASA facilities to discuss technical issues (10%). Also, requires sitting for extended periods of time at a desk to write reports and perform engineering tasks (80%). Requires ability to use stairs or elevators for access between floors and multiple buildings at NASA and our facilities (10%).  

Equipment and Machines: 

Requires ability to operate a personal computer, a telephone, fax machine, copier, calculator, and other general office equipment (100%).

Attendance: 

Normal workday 7:30-4:30, Monday thru Friday.  Minimal overtime may be required (10%) to meet schedule milestones and to support technical demands of the job. Regular attendance is a necessity, and adequate arrangements for delegating duties during absences are required. 

Other Essential Functions:

The ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and to make rational decisions, and to exercise good judgment is essential (100%). Grooming and dress must be appropriate for the position and must not impose a safety risk/hazard to the employee or others.

Proof of U.S. Citizenship is required. 

#ESSCA #ASED #Amentum

Compensation Details:

The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.

Benefits Overview:

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Paid time off and holidays

• Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)

• Educational reimbursement

• Parental leave

• Employee stock purchase plan

• Tax-saving options

• Disability and life insurance

• Pet insurance

Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

Original Posting:

Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.

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