GNC Engineer (NASA Sounding Rocket Program)

About The Role

NASA’s Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC) is a suborbital spaceflight program located at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), part of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). NSROC provides suborbital launch vehicles, payload development, and field operations support to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, enabling Earth, Heliophysics, and Astrophysics research.

Peraton is seeking a GNC Engineer – to support the NSROC program at Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA.

NSROC IV supports approximately 14 sounding rocket shots per year.  This program supports a range of scientific and government experiments.  Missions are flown from a variety of launch sites including Wallops, White Sands Missile Range, Poker Flats Rocket Range, Alaska, Kwajalein, and Andoya, Norway.

This position requires the ability to understand and apply a broad range of technical disciplines to GNC problems.  These areas include but are not limited to:  pneumatic component testing, software (C and others, real-time applications), electrical design, mechanical systems, cold gas pneumatics, and various sensors including rate gyros, inertial measurement units, star trackers, solar sensors, accelerometers, and magnetometers.  The applicant’s specific technical contribution is expected to be primarily in the software and electrical hardware design area.  The applicant also must be able to adeptly communicate GNC concepts within the program and to the customer in written, oral, and presentation formats.  The Applicant will be working with high pressure pneumatics systems.

This position requires an individual to be able to work individually and work in a team environment.  Applicant will work on a variety of projects, typically multiple at any one time.  The applicant will provide software and hardware support for attitude control systems and additional projects across the program.  They will also work as the Boost Guidance System engineer for sounding rocket missions.  The application will support system development throughout the entire mission life cycle including launch at remote sites.  

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the design of software for attitude control systems and additional program need and support equipment.
• Support the development of new software capabilities for the program, this includes working and interfacing within the GNC group as well as the electrical group and the Sounding Rocket Program Office.
• Apply comprehensive knowledge of engineering concepts, procedures and practices to GNC problems.
• Support the creation of automatic acceptance test platforms for electrical and pneumatic components.
• Support the mission lifecycle for the Boost Guidance System.
• Present system designs and analyses for customers and a variety of technical disciplines.
• Performs system integration and testing of subcontractor-supplied BGS systems.
• Perform acceptance testing on electrical and pneumatic parts and assemblies.
• Perform integration tests to validate assemblies.
• Design, development, manufacture, refurbishment and evaluation of hardware relevant to ACS Sensors and Pneumatic Attitude Control Systems.
• Contribute to the development of new components, assemblies, and systems. Also develop engineering specifications for applicable projects.
• Test control systems which include high-pressure hardware and electro-mechanical components relevant to the control of payload attitude.
• Provide software verification testing and software control infrastructure and the maintenance of that control structure. Assist the GNC group in software compliance efforts.

Must be able to travel, typical travel to the remote launch site lasts 3 to 7 weeks.   

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree and two or more years of experience, in lieu of degree high school diploma and 6 or more years of experience in engineering or technician experience
• Demonstrated C Programming capability
• Demonstrated electrical hardware capability
• MATLAB experience
• MS Office proficiency
• Hands on pneumatic operations and training
• Adept understanding of software design practices and software version control
• Comfort working withing the GIT software control platform
• Ability to develop and test complex software solutions for custom flight computers
• Must be a US Citizen

Preferred Qualifications:

• Six years or more of engineering and technician experience 
• Real-time system development
• GNC related experience

Details

Target Salary Range: $66,000 - $106,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual’s experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

Benefits Statement: Peraton offers eligible employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, health savings account, short/long term disability, EAP, parental leave, 401(k), paid time off (PTO) for vacation, and company paid holidays. A full listing of available benefits can be viewed at 

Application Statements: The application period for the job is estimated to be 30 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in the role and the Company. During the review of your application, you may be required to participate in an on-camera interview, as well as participate in a process to verify your identity. Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools of any kind during Peraton interviews is strictly prohibited unless the candidate has obtained prior written authorization. All interview responses must be the candidate’s own.

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.