Senior Advanced TIDES Engineer

Job Title: Senior Advanced TIDES Engineer Location: Scottsdale, AZ Employment Type: Contract to Direct Industry: Defense Compensation: $94.33/ hour About the Opportunity We are seeking a Senior Advanced TIDES Engineer to serve as a technical leader supporting integrated spacecraft test environments across hardware, firmware, and software infrastructure. In this role, you'll help define, architect, integrate, and evolve test environments that support spacecraft payload development, verification, production testing, and long-term sustainment activities. Why You'll Love Working Here Work on advanced spacecraft and space payload programs supporting critical aerospace and defense missions. Lead cross-functional initiatives spanning systems engineering, hardware, FPGA development, software infrastructure, and test automation. Influence the future of reusable test architectures and digital engineering practices. Collaborate with highly skilled engineers across multiple technical disciplines. Why This Opportunity is Exciting This is a unique opportunity to shape next-generation spacecraft test infrastructure and influence how complex space systems are verified, integrated, and sustained. You'll work across multiple programs, driving technical innovation while helping create reusable solutions that deliver long-term value across the organization. About Acara Solutions Acara is a premier recruiting and workforce solutions provider— we help companies compete for talent. With a legacy of experience in various industries worldwide, we partner with clients, listen to their needs, and customize visionary talent solutions that drive desired business outcomes. We leverage decades of experience to deliver contingent staffing, direct placement, executive search, and workforce services worldwide. What You'll Do Lead technical coordination across system test environment hardware, platform integration firmware, and software infrastructure teams. Support architecture, design, integration, verification, and deployment of spacecraft test environments. Translate payload and program requirements into test system capabilities, verification methods, measurement strategies, and test evidence plans. Develop test system design packages, interface documentation, rack architectures, cable packages, and calibration plans. Coordinate FPGA interfaces, digital I/O requirements, data collection paths, and timing distribution architectures. Support automated test infrastructure deployment, software integration, network configuration, and data management environments. Conduct trade studies involving hardware, FPGA, software, automation, verification, schedule, cost, and risk considerations. Support proposal efforts by developing technical approaches, labor estimates, risk assessments, and execution strategies. Lead technical reviews, customer-facing discussions, leadership briefings, and engineering coordination meetings. Mentor engineers and help establish engineering standards and best practices across teams. What You'll Bring Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience; or Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience. 8+ years of experience in systems engineering, integration and test, spacecraft development, aerospace engineering, or related technical environments. 5+ years of experience supporting test environment architecture, design, integration, deployment, or verification activities. 5+ years of experience with requirements analysis, traceability, interface definition, verification planning, or systems integration. 3+ years of experience supporting cross-functional engineering teams across hardware, software, firmware, and systems engineering disciplines. 3+ years of experience supporting proposal development, technical solution development, cost estimating, risk assessments, or basis-of-estimate activities. What Sets You Apart Experience supporting spacecraft payload development, integration, verification, production testing, or sustainment activities. Strong understanding of automated test systems, RF test equipment, FPGA-based interfaces, and networked laboratory environments. Experience with requirements traceability, verification planning, and test readiness reviews. Experience configuring and supporting laboratory networks, servers, workstations, automated test stations, and data infrastructure. Knowledge of LabVIEW, TestStand, Python, Git, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes, or similar technologies. Familiarity with FPGA development, hardware-in-the-loop testing, JESD204B, Ethernet, and high-speed digital interfaces. Strong technical judgment across electrical engineering, software infrastructure, systems engineering, and test automation domains. Experience driving standardization, automation, reuse, and long-term supportability initiatives. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting technical risks, trade studies, and recommendations to leadership. Ability to leverage AI-enabled tools to improve engineering productivity, documentation, automation, and analysis. Additional Information Upon offer of employment, the individual will be subject to a background check and drug screen. Overtime: May be required based on project milestones and business demands. Work Arrangement: On-site or Hybrid/Flex options available. Work Environment: Advanced aerospace and defense engineering environment supporting spacecraft development, payload integration, verification, and test infrastructure programs. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Active Top Secret Clearance. Aleron companies (Acara Solutions, Aleron Shared Resources, Broadleaf Results, Lume Strategies, TalentRise, Viaduct) are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Color/Gender/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran. Applicants for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position does not meet the employment requirements for individuals with F-1 OPT STEM work authorization status. #J-18808-Ljbffr Aleron