Science Systems and Applications Inc. (SSAI) is seeking a Junior Instrument Calibration Engineer to calibrate, maintain, and deploy domestic and international remote sensing instrumentation for a ground-based atmospheric aerosol monitoring project.

The Engineer will interface with laboratory personnel, project programmers, and science team members to maintain, calibrate, and monitor instrument health and performance across a fleet of over 600 robotic instruments. The Engineer will also provide troubleshooting assistance for technical issues at calibration facilities and field sites worldwide. The Engineer will need to communicate with instrument sponsors from around the world. The need for real-time data transfer will include hardware and software development, testing, and maintenance of data acquisition and transfer systems. Tasks also include interacting with scientific and operational database systems. The Engineer may also assist with the prototyping, design, fabrication, testing, and deployment of new instruments and other hardware.

Duties Include but no limited to:

• Performing instrument radiance calibration on NIST-traceable integrating spheres.

• Analyzing instrument data to find causes of errors and address the issues to resolve the problem.

• Detecting and correcting errors found in software and hardware.

• Assisting in the design and prototyping of instrumentation and other hardware.

• Working collaboratively in a dynamic, highly team-oriented environment.

• Effectively communicating with the team and external partners.

• Travel

• Domestic or international travel needed to install or remove instrumentation from long-term field sites or temporary field campaign sites.

• Participate in related workshops and meetings.

• Will have to lift, carry, or maneuver heavy objects up to 50 pounds.

• Will have to climb ladders and stairs.

• Will have to work on tall buildings or towers.

• Communicating troubleshooting instruction over the phone and via email with site sponsors across the world.

• The Engineer may also periodically perform the following duties:

• Processing of incoming and outgoing instrumentation and equipment including packing/unpacking and shipping.

• Troubleshooting and repairing robotics and electronics.

• Deployment of instrumentation in the field domestically and internationally.

• Installing and removing instruments on the NASA calibration platform.

• Assembling and disassembling instrument components.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline such as Electrical Engineering or Robotics.

• Some experience with software development, coding, or scripting.

• Experience with plotting, analyzing, and interpreting data.

• Independently work through hardware issues using problem-solving skills.

• Capable of working both independently and collaboratively.

• Familiarity with electronics test equipment including power supplies, oscilloscopes, power meters.

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally.

• US Citizen or US Permanent Resident required.

Desired Qualifications

• Electrical Engineering degree and 2 years of experience.

• Experience designing and testing circuits.

• Experience in the calibration of laboratory equipment.

• Experience with photonics or spectrometry.

• Experience with robotics.

  EOE, including disability/vets

  Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb ladders, climb stairs and use hands to touch, handle or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee frequently is required to talk and hear and occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.