Senior Dynamics and Controls Engineer (JR060226A-9)

Senior Dynamics and Controls Engineer

Are you seeking employment with a fast-growing small business who appreciates their employees?  A company who believes in investing in people? 

JBS Solutions, Inc. is an engineering and technical logistics company in Huntsville, AL. As a company dedicated to serving the community, JBS offers the unique opportunity to enrich an underutilized area of Huntsville while growing your career through NASA and DoD contracts. From systems engineering and configuration management to technical logistics and mission operations, JBS works to solve our customers' hardest problems. With a competitive benefits package and personable work environment, JBS Solutions is the ideal company to take your career to the next level.

JBS is excited to announce a new position. We are seeking a Senior Dynamics and Controls Engineer to join our team working on the ESSCA contract with NASA!

JBS Solutions 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 and be a part of an exciting and rewarding organization!

Job Description

JBS is seeking a highly qualified candidate to support the design, development, and oversight of the Human Lander Systems Program in the Control Systems Design and Analysis branch at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center as a Dynamics, Controls, Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Subject Matter Expert. This exciting work will serve as a critical step in sending humans back to the Moon, Mars and beyond!

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentoring to project/program team members
• Develop and/or oversee the development, verification, and validation of launch vehicle, spacecraft, and lander control systems.
• Model, develop, simulate, and analyze launch vehicle, spacecraft, and lander dynamics and control system performance and stability.
• Resolve complex problems pertaining to the design, development, analysis, integration, evaluation, testing, and verification of control systems and 6-DoF models and simulations.
• Develop, modify, maintain, and improve software simulations, tools, and scripts.
• Periodically analyze HLS partner’ flight data and present findings to NASA management.
• Create, edit, and debug software written in MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape.
• Configure, conduct, and analyze 6-DoF Monte Carlo simulations.
• Conduct trades studies and/or sensitivity analyses related to launch vehicles and spacecraft control.
• Mentor junior engineers in conducting control system modeling, simulation, and analysis.
• Prepare and present technical reports and/or briefings including visualization of results.
• Create and review engineering and software documentation.

Qualifications

 A degree in Aerospace, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or related field from an ABET accredited institution is required. Typical experience requirements are the equivalent of a PhD with at least 19 years of experience, a master’s with at least 23 years of experience, or BS with at least 25 years of experience. Proof of U.S. Citizenship is required. 

Required Skills:

• Ability to work problems from first principles, including derivation of dynamics equations of motion, including both nonlinear equations and linear state equations and integrate subsystem models into larger simulations.
• Proficiency modeling, simulating, and analyzing the performance of launch vehicles, spacecraft, and landers in the time domain using parametric, Monte Carlo, and statistical techniques.
• Experience analyzing control stability in the frequency domain (Nichols, Bode, Nyquist, Root Locus, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to design flight control systems (PID, state space, etc.) and perform actuator allocation (manual jet selection, quadratic programming, pseudo inverse, etc.)
• Modeling of spacecraft components/subsystems such as:  Thrust Vector Control (TVC) actuators, Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters, slosh, pogo, rigid and/or flexible body dynamics.
• Programming in MATLAB, Simulink, and C/C++.   This includes debugging and improving the efficiency of simulation tools.
• Experience performing software development, verification, and validation.
• Experience performing trade studies, sensitivity, and/or Monte Carlo simulation and analyses related to the control of launch vehicles and/or spacecraft.
• Must be detail oriented and self-motivated that can work independently taking projects from start to finish without much oversight.
• Must also be able to work collaboratively with other team members both locally and remote at other facilities or vendors. 
• Strong written and oral communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading and/or mentoring junior engineers.

Desired skills/experience:

• Experience with modeling, simulation, and analysis of spacecraft rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking and/or landers
• Experience modeling and simulating manual control of spacecraft including but not limited to controllability, transfer function models, Cooper Harper ratings, and paper pilot modeling.
• Programming in other languages such as Python, Simscape Multi-body.
• Familiarity with and an understanding of trajectory and orbital dynamics.
• Experience with creating animations/visualization from results of 3-DoF/6-DoF simulations using tools such as Unreal Engine, Satellite Tool Kit (STK), etc.
• Model based design experience.

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.

Selected candidate must be a US citizen. Proof of U.S. Citizenship is required. JBS participates in E-Verify.

JBS Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, military/veteran status or other categories protected by law.

This position is located in Huntsville, AL (ranked #11 in Best Places to Live by U.S. News).

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