Junior Electromechanical Controls Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

The Vehicle Systems Division (VSD) sits at the center of the ideas and data behind current and future systems supplying innovative research and development; technical evaluations during the acquisition process; conceptual and detailed design; assembly, integration, and test; and operational support. Comprised primarily of highly-trained mechanical and aerospace engineers, VSD provides national expertise in the areas of vehicle engineering; guidance, navigation, and controls; robotics; electro-mechanical devices; embedded systems; fluid mechanics; propulsion; thermal control; mechanisms; structures; structural dynamics; and dynamic environments.

The Electromechanical Control Department (ECD) provides technical support in the areas of electromechanical control systems, control system hardware and algorithms used for spacecraft and launch vehicles, as well as terrestrial and aerial applications. We specialize in mission critical control sensor and actuator, including electric motors, gyroscopes and IMUs, accelerometers, gimbals, steering mirrors, encoders & resolvers, star trackers, GPS receivers, capacitive & inductive sensors, servo mechanism, reaction wheels, and thrust vector control actuators.

As a Junior Electromechanical Controls Engineer (Associate Member of Technical Staff - Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineering or Member of Technical Staff - Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineering) in ECD, you will plan and conduct technical studies and experimental investigations to support customer programs, interacting with government customers, program management, and contractors.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in El Segundo, CA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Conducting technical studies that often involve the analysis, simulation, evaluation, or testing of control systems and their components.
• Verifying contractor designs, approaches, and overall system performance
• Performing experimental investigations in the Mechatronics Research Laboratory (managed by ECD) and/or other Aerospace labs may include controller design and implementation, data reduction and visualization, sensor and actuator performance evaluation, and electro-optical systems calibration and alignment.
• Supporting multiple programs, clearly communicating the results of studies while working with both internal and external customers and stakeholders as a technical authority, consultant, primary investigator, or project leader.
• Communicating both orally and in writing with higher management, program offices, customers, contractors, and colleagues.

What You Need To Be Successful

Minimum Requirements – Associate Member of Technical Staff - Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineering:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university program in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering or related disciplines
• 1+ years of applicable industry or academic work experience
• Proficiency in laboratory experimentation, test strategy development, experiment design, and integration and testing
• Experience with electronics, mechanical design, control systems, inertial sensors, and actuators applicable to spacecraft and/or launch vehicles
• Experience performing technical support in complex environments (multi-program, multi-agency) involving customers, program offices, engineering support, and contractors
• Proficiency in tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, dSPACE, LabVIEW, SolidWorks, C/C++, Python
• Willingness to occasionally travel and to work off-business hours to support customer needs, approximately 10% (as required)
• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance, which is issued by the US government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

Requirements

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Member of Technical Staff - Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineering include:

• Master’s degree from an accredited college/university program in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering or related disciplines

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Hardware expertise in sensors, actuators, and integrated systems, e.g., electric motors, rotational sensors, reaction wheels, and control moment gyros, etc.
• Familiarity with launch vehicle and satellite payloads and control, their relationships to other s