Mechanical Engineer

Job Description:

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc., (AMA) is seeking Mechanical Engineer to support ongoing activities at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, VA. The successful candidate will join a team of technicians and research engineers on the Research, Science and Engineering Services (RSES) contract with the NASA Langley Advanced Materials and Processing Branch (AMPB). The team supports NASA researchers and academic and industry collaborators on a wide range of advanced space materials synthesis, processing, characterization, and application projects. The job requires working with potentially hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with all applicable laboratory, state, and federal safety procedures and permits. The laboratory work environment is dynamic in nature and task assignments can vary frequently, making the willingness and ability to accommodate flexible work schedules, cross-train and acquire new technical skills essential.

The successful candidate will possess foundational theoretical and practical knowledge applied to the development of advanced dust mitigation technology and environmental material solutions. It includes engineering support for material characterization, testing, and design of fixturing and modifications to hardware to perform research and development supporting space technology applications requiring dust mitigation and tolerance to extreme space and planetary environments. The successful applicant will support and maintain existing data acquisition software, perform design, development, integration, and testing of cross-platform software applications, and collaborate with researchers on the requirements and validation of the software. The candidate should display strong technical and interpersonal skills and will be expected to help prioritize work, develop experimental plans, interpret data, and present results in a team environment. Mentorship and fostering the professional development of other staff members and in advancing and augmenting the long-term analytical capabilities of the laboratory is also expected.

This position requires specialized knowledge and experience in the design and development to prepare the configurable chamber by setting up the chamber to enable testing interchangeable surfaces and mechanisms, incorporating lunar and Martian environmental aspects, including dust, ultraviolet radiation, and thermal gradients, into testing. The successful candidate will (a) test materials and mechanisms using the configurable chamber and dust mitigation methods in support of NASA projects and external agreements, (b) test technique development, analysis, and detailed characterization for mechanical and microstructural evaluations of materials and mechanisms for dust mitigation that are of interest based on NASA project guidance and (c) attend regular team meetings and periodic meetings with external partners as needed. A commitment to high quality workmanship, attention to detail and concise reporting and documentation of results is essential. Technical writing including preparation of procedures, data collection, technical memos, laboratory notes/records, calibration records and collaboration with NASA researchers on peer-review publications will be expected. The position requires the ability to effectively communicate and interface with internal and external customers, equipment suppliers, and vendors for specialty laboratory materials and services.

The salary range for this position is $93,000-$104,000 dependent on education and experience.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, materials engineering or related fields (Master’s and Ph.D. degree preferred).

• Track record of publications in peer-reviewed research journals and presentations at national or international scientific conferences.

• Experience with dust mitigation technology.

• Experience with team leadership, project management, and resource allocation.

• Understand standard engineering work planning, scheduling, and conduct independent work requiring judgement in the application of engineering techniques.

• Must be PC-literate and familiar with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and Word.

• Good oral and written communication skills in the English language.

• Ability to quickly adapt to dynamic work requirements and learn new disciplines and skills.

• US citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency is required due to customer site restrictions.

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt,