Propulsion Technician

Propulsion Development Technician II

Overview: Must be a US Citizen. Duration - 2 year contract position with potential to be extended or converted. W2 with full benefits, 9/80 Work Schedule. Customer and contract specific training will be required and provided. Location - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA (onsite). Offer contingent on ability to successfully pass a background check and drug screen. The US base pay range for this full-time position is $25-44/hr + benefits. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location.

Job Description: As a Propulsion Development Technician II, you will be working for JPL's Mechanical, Packaging, and Test Section which maintains technical support facilities and resources that provide the services required to fabricate, assemble, clean and test electro-mechanical developmental and flight hardware. This Section develops and matures equipment and technologies, which enable and enhance our fabrication and environmental test capability for current and future missions.

Position Responsibilities:

• Responsible for interacting with customers and quality assurance in preparing and working from test procedures to perform precision tubing fabrication, orbital tube welding, pressure/propulsion/fluid system assembly, and test operations on R&D and flight components and systems.
• Ensure that the process, product, and environment comply with Laboratory protocols, government regulations, and professional standards.
• Will perform manual and mechanical tube bending, flaring, and facing operations per material limits, and know minimum bend radii for specific tube material, diameter, and wall thickness.
• Will prepare tubing, set purge parameters, configure weld heads, and perform orbital tube welding, recognizing weld discontinuities and defects and maintaining personal weld certifications and logs.
• Will build pressure/propulsion/fluid/purge systems to schematics using industry-standard components (tubes/hoses, relief devices, fittings such as AN/VCR/compression, valves, regulators, gauges, flow meters, filters), maintaining required cleanliness levels and appropriate torque throughout assembly.
• Will conduct proof, cold shock, and leak testing (including basic and advanced leak checking, e.g., with an Agilent leak detector and helium) and perform moisture and hydrocarbon analysis.
• Will support Flight propulsion/fluid system assembly, test, and launch site operations, following JCI-handling best practices when working on or near Flight hardware.
• Will support Pressure Vessel Systems (PVS) and Pressure System Safety (PSS) activities, including relief device and flex hose testing, pressure testing, and creation/affixing of PSS tags on tested components.
• Will be required to perform precision parts cleaning using chemicals and cleaning solutions such as Isopropyl alcohol, Ethyl Alcohol, Acetone, Vertrel, Brulin detergent, Oakite or other high-alkaline detergent, and operate ultrasonic cleaners as needed.
• Will be required to work and follow all protocol for working in ISO-5 cleanroom and controlled environments, including but not limited to wearing full cleanroom suit.
• Will help keep calibration/certification records for equipment and notify area lead of any equipment requiring calibration or maintenance.
• May be required to support the Precision Cleaning Facility (PCF) with precision parts cleaning, chemical and particle count analyses, and passivation operations.

Required Skills:

• Typically requires a High School diploma with 3 to 4 years of general work experience; related required training; or Associates with 2 years of related experience; or Bachelors with 1 years of related experience.
• Ability to understand precision tubing fabrication, orbital tube welding, and pressure/propulsion/fluid system assembly, and follow related procedures and practices.
• Must have general understanding and experience in the following areas: mechanical hardware assembly and test, installation and test of electronic components; working with flight hardware.
• Experienced with use of hand tools, including some machining experience (drill press, band saw, grinder).
• Understanding of applicable policies, procedures, and practices in handling Flight Hardware.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to travel to work in distant locations, domestic and/or international, as needed.

Desired Skills:

• Orbital tube welding certification and experience, including tube bending and flaring.
• Experience with pressure system fabrication, test, and certification methods, including proof, leak, and cold shock testing.
• Experience working in a class 100 to 100,000 cleanroom environment and performing precision parts cleaning.
• Experience with manual machining, including 3-axis mill and lathe operations.
• Experience with basic electrical fabrication, including familiarity with electronic components, cabling, soldering and wiring diagrams.
• Good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity, necessary to work with miniaturized systems or components.
• Extensive knowledge of computer applications (e.g., spreadsheets, databases, word processing, web searches) for component information.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action

Columbus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, age, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. As a federal contractor, Columbus participates in the E-Verify Program to confirm eligibility to work in the United States.