a.i. solutions is seeking a Senior Test and Evaluation Engineer to work with our team to support the United States Space Force Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) Test and Evaluation Squadrons (TES) at Schriever SFB in Colorado Springs, CO. An active TS/SCI clearance is required.
Applicants should have experience in acquisition lifecycle and multiple phases of the test and evaluation process. Strong applicants will have experience with contractor or developmental testing, operational testing, and live-fire testing, particularly testing of space systems. Experience in evaluating both small subsystems’ test results and major system program results is highly desired. In addition, applicants should have familiarity with major DoD acquisition programs as part of the Space Force acquisition process. Successful applicants should be adept at breaking complex systems into functional elements and determining test objectives applicable to each. Test Engineers/Operations Analysts must have the ability to self-teach to stay current with the best T&E and M&S tools and techniques for evaluating capabilities. Additionally, they must understand the advantages and limitations of differing techniques for solving a particular problem.
Responsibilities:
- Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of space systems tests & experiments
- Design, develop, and execute advanced test/experimentation programs and processes to conduct assessment of space systems
- Apply optimal scientific and statistical tools such as design of experiments to increase test efficiency and produce actionable test results
- Create/review test engineering documentation to include test plans, Test Information Sheets, Safety Packages, Data Analysis. Management Plans, Technical and Safety Review Board Briefs, Test Readiness Briefs, Test Cards, and Test/Analysis Reports as required
- Perform analysis on pre-test predictions, including those obtained through M&S, to design test events and profiles, define data collection requirements, and develop go/no-go criteria to meet test objectives
- Work with programs to perform reviews of systems, sub-systems, and components to ensure the data management and analysis plan (DMAP) provides proper data collection for real-time and post-mission data processing, evaluation, and analysis to meet test/experimentation objectives
- Set up data analysis requests, process data, perform data quality control review and anomaly resolution, and analyze data as per the data analysis plan
- Execute simulations to predict or evaluate system effectiveness or suitability under relevant operational conditions and scenarios
- Monitor the gathering of M&S data and guide test result evaluation to determine if system configurations and architecture meet customer specifications and performance expectations
- Create Test Reports/Presentations of complex data sets
- Create/enhance data analysis tools
Required Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Research, Engineering, Math, Probability, Statistics or Science
- 10+ years of demonstrated Systems &/or Test Engineering experience with space, ground, operations, and sustainment segments of DoD
- A SME-level understanding of test, evaluation and experimentation and the distinctions between developmental, operational, and integrated test
- Comfortable with methodologies including modeling and simulation, laboratory testing, open-air testing, and live-fire testing and supporting skills such as modeling and simulation, system decomposition, design of experiments and response surface methodologies, regression testing, and validation of models and simulations.
- Team mentality to provide integrated engineering/analysis support for design reviews, test planning working groups, test card prep, disciplined test execution, and collaborative authorship of post flight reports.
- Willingness to accept changing and evolving roles & responsibilities in support of customer requirements and needs.
- Aptitude and patience to process and analyze complex system test/experimentation data.
- Technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: Space-related data communications, EO/IR/RF Sensors, Spacecraft GNC, Space system Architectures, Space Battle Management and Control, Cyber
- An active TS/SCI clearance
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Master’s Degree in Operations Research, Engineering, Math, Probability, Statistics or Science with 10+ years of demonstrated experience
- Space Weapons officer (W13S/13S), with understanding of joint operations environment, and/or Offensive/Defensive space tactics &/OR graduate of specialized T&E training (e.g., USAFTPS Space Test Course)
- DoD Acquisition Professional Development (ADPD) Test and Evaluation Level 3 certification
- Experience within the DoD or as a Defense Contractor working in test and evaluation.
- M&S and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) testing and associated VV&A processes
- Knowledge of orbital mechanics and astrodynamics
- Space operations and/or orbital mechanics
- Statistical techniques for approaching complex problems with large amounts of data
- Application of operations research techniques and supporting skills such as database query languages, design of experiment and response surface methodologies, scripting language programming, and development of appropriate models and simulations
Compensation: Starting salary ranges from $130,000 to $180,000 depending on relevant experience and qualifications.
