Trajectory Engineer

The Trajectory Engineer, as part of the Integrated Mission Operations Contract III (IMOC III) will be assigned to support the Trajectory Software Group within the Trajectory Branch of the Flight Dynamics Division of the Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) at the NASA-Johnson Space Center, where they will be a part of the Core Operations Mission Planning and Analysis Spacecraft Simulation (COMPASS) Project Team and/or the Platform Independent Software Components for the Exploration of Space (PISCES) Project Team.

Building on more than four decades of experience in providing innovative integration solutions for government and commercial space programs, Barrios offers an extensive range of engineering, software, and related technology integration services in support of the aerospace community. As a woman-owned and operated small business, we are a people-focused company that supports professional development, while working to ensure that you maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

Barrios employees actively participate in the growth of the commercial spaceflight industry through our partnerships with companies leading commercial space development, as well as successfully supporting NASA as our primary government customer. Our long history supporting Low Earth Orbit (LEO) on the International Space Station, and now Commercial LEO, lays the groundwork for future missions to the Moon through our work on Orion, Gateway, and the Space Launch System. 

The Trajectory Engineer will:

The Trajectory branch supports multiple NASA Programs such as the International Space Station (ISS), Moon to Mars Program (Artemis, Gateway, Human Landing System), and Commercial Crew Program (SpaceX Dragon2, Boeing Starliner, Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO)). Additional support is provided to the operational development of NASA-operated manned launch and exploration vehicles as well as international requests. A good understanding of orbital mechanics and flight dynamics is required for many of the Trajectory branch positions.

The COMPASS Project Team is responsible for developing and maintaining the COMPASS space vehicle trajectory simulation. COMPASS is a “hybrid simulation”, written in both Python and C++, and allows Flight Dynamics personnel to develop and model a wide variety of spacecraft and then predict trajectory performance in all flight phases -- including launch, orbit, cislunar, and reentry. In addition, the COMPASS Project Team produces software tools that support trajectory analysis and real-time operations for multiple NASA programs supported by the Flight Operations Directorate.

The PISCES Project Team is responsible for developing and maintaining Java-based software tools used by the Flight Dynamics Division community. PISCES is a Java-based astrodynamics application suite with a 20+ year heritage used for shuttle, the Visiting Vehicle Office (VVO), International Space Station (ISS), Boeing Crew Space Transportation (CST), and Artemis for all phases of flight. It is also used as a library to the Mission Control Center (MCC) Trajectory Subsystem application suite for astrodynamics tools, scripts, Graphical User Interface (GUI) widgets, etc. As part of preparing for Artemis II (following mode) and Artemis III (operational) missions and beyond, the PISCES group is re-architecting part of the PISCES suite of tools from Java to Python.

Additionally, the hired candidate may also support software used by the Flight Dynamics Office (FDO) flight controller group to perform ascent trajectory verification for launches of the Space Launch System (SLS)/Orion vehicle for Artemis and Commercial Crew Boeing CST-100 missions. The employee may also support software used by the Trajectory Operations and Planning Officer (TOPO) flight controller group to support ISS Increment missions.

The hired applicant will receive training from the software users, which include flight controllers, engineers, and analysts, to understand the different software packages, and develop, maintain, and manage the software's unique capabilities. Depending on the software package involved, the hired candidate will work with the applicable group to determine how the software capabilities are used; to develop and analyze new requirements; to design, develop, and test software code; as well as to create associated documentation, while adhering to the group's software processes and standards.

The candidate may be requested to be on-call to provide software technical support and, therefore, the candidate must be able to support a flexible work week as infrequent early morning, late evening, and weekend work may be required to support real-time launch schedules. This position, however, is not related to any flight controller certification.

A successful hired applicant needs to be equally at home using, or quick to learn, aerospace domain knowledge to develop software requirements and using programming skills to meet those requirements. Based on the requirement needs of the position, a proficient level of experience with Python is mandatory. The applicant may be requested to provide samples of Python work. An advance beginner to proficient level of experience with C++ and/or Java is highly desired and preferred. The applicant may also be requested to provide samples of C++ and/or Java experience. Associated tools used that support the typical developer duties include the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), working with Windows and Linux systems, Freeflyer, MATLAB and GitLab.

The following reflects essential functions and responsibilities for this position but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned or reassigned at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

• Interfacing with the NASA customer daily and understanding their core mission requirement and the desired system concept of operation and the relationship to product architectures, subsystems, design, interfaces, and operations
• Supporting meetings, which may include concisely reporting notable and actionable results to management or team. Note, in some cases facilitating one or more meetings and taking minutes
• Representing the applicable team and/or Trajectory Software group at different FOD panels, boards, and working groups
• Making oral presentations to team members, Flight Control Engineers, and various levels of management
• Understanding requirements for system models of space vehicle hardware and flight guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) software
• Developing software requirements for and testing console situational awareness tools/scripts, data production tools, and/or analysis tools/scripts/post-processors
• Applying modeling and simulation tools to translate customer or product requirements into system solutions
• Support architecting of the system model(s) and develop lower-level models conditions and objects, and/or components, subsystems, and/or system behaviors and performance, and support the integration and use of these models across the engineering team
• Developing and testing models, using aerospace skills to interpret results, and generating software documentation
• Coordinating with internal and external software customers and users to support verification and acceptance testing to meet user mission and analysis needs
• Supporting development of scenario scripts and data sets to design and execute simulations; perform data acquisition and analysis of scenario results; develop and present conclusions and recommendations
• Performing analysis, trade studies, running trajectory simulations and interpreting performance data
• Note this may include modifying Java, Python, or Freeflyer scripts and running them in a Linux environment
• Developing COMPASS, PISCES (PySCES) or Trajectory Software Group-related training lessons and presentations
• Supporting the training and mentoring of other Trajectory Software Team members and Flight Controllers on any supported software development and execution
  
  

Required Education/Experience/Skills:

• Bachelor or Master of Science in Engineering (ABET) or Physics
• This is an entry-level position for candidates having 0-4 years of relatable experience
• The ideal candidate has an understanding and knowledge in the Aerospace Engineering Domain (or quick to learn) and must have a passion for software development
• Candidate must have proficiency in Python, and advanced beginner to proficient level (or better) of development experience with Java and/or C++ on Windows and/or Linux environments. Familiarity with both OS platforms is preferred
• The candidate must be able to travel

Preferences

• Previous experience with software project management and development lifecycle 
• Qualified applicants need to be self-starters who can work effectively alone or within a small team
• Excellent communication skills are a must, as is the ability to prioritize tasks in alignment with near-term and long-term project goals
• Additionally interpersonal, leadership, teamwork and technical skills are mandatory
• The candidate must have a demonstrated ability to plan, lead, and coordinate a wide range of tasks
• The Integrated Mission Operations Contract III requires the qualified candidate to be a U.S. Citizen
• Previous experience in flight control, technical integration, or systems engineering 
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a team and independently
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint)

Essential Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen and successfully complete a U.S. government background investigation
• Post offer applicants and employees are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol as outlined in our Drug Free Workplace policy
• Work may involve sitting for extended periods
• May require lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs
• Must have sufficient mobility to enter areas of test facilities where necessary
• Generally, an office environment, but can involve inside or outside work depending on task
• Standard office equipment (PC, telephone, fax, etc.)
• Regular attendance in accordance with established work schedule is critical
• Ability to work outside normal schedule and adjust schedule to meet peak periods and surge requirements when required
• Must be able to work in a team atmosphere
• Must put forward a professional behavior that enhances productivity and promotes teamwork and cooperation
• Grooming and dress must be appropriate for the position and must not impose a safety risk/hazard to the employee or others
• This position may require some commuting and traveling to other installations as needed

 Don't miss out on this great opportunity: for immediate consideration apply now!

Barrios Technology is an Equal Employment Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

 Barrios Technology is a drug-free workplace, which is imperative to the health and safety of all employees and is required as a condition of receiving contracts from federal agencies. Please remember that regardless of the legalization of marijuana in several states, possession and use continues to be illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. This includes the use of some CBD products. A post-offer, pre-employment drug test is a condition of employment.