Standard Job Description

Mass Properties Engineering is the art and science of predicting the mass properties of a satellite, missile, aircraft, land vehicle or marine system before it is built, assessing and supervising the mass properties all through development, and finally performing highly accurate measurements to prove to our customers it will perform as proposed. Our Mass Properties Engineers help ensure our spacecraft get payloads to the right orbit around our planet or around other objects in our solar system, help our missile systems intercept a threat and protect our troops, help deliver a payload with pinpoint accuracy, or help us develop smaller, lightweight directed energy weapons, so they can be deployed on a variety of platforms.

As a Mass Properties Engineer, you will:

• Provide Mass Properties Engineering support to multiple missile, reentry systems, or special programs

• Calculate mass properties

• Update and maintain mass properties databases

• Perform basic trade studies and make presentations at program design reviews

• Lead mass properties audits

• Develop test procedures and perform mass properties measurements

• Reduce and interpret measurement data into final user values

• Facilitate Mass Properties Control Boards and weight reduction teams

• Document and publish all types of analysis reports

• Lead the mass properties effort on small programs

Researches, plans, designs and develops mechanical products and systems such as instruments, controls, robots, engines, machines and mechanical, thermal hydraulic or heat transfer systems for production, transmission, measurement, and use of energy. Applies research to the planning, design, development, and testing of mechanical and/or electromechanical systems, instruments, controls, engines, and/or machines.

Basic Qualifications

• Proficiency in calculating the mass properties (mass, 3 axis centers of gravity, moments and products of inertia) of components and performing summation calculations into assemblies; developing simple software tools to perform these calculations

• Experience with performing mass properties analysis to resolve weight, center of gravity, mass moments of inertia, and products of inertia from assemblies down to the component level; tracking changes impacting mass properties; preparing mass properties reports and supporting design reviews

• Ability to Interpret detailed mechanism designs taken from manufacturing drawings or standard modeling software tools

• Demonstrated experience in weight and center of gravity measurements by platform and multiple load cell methods, data reduction, and simple error analysis

• US Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance

Desired Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace), Physics, or Mathematics

• Demonstrated understanding of and interactions of other mechanical analysis groups including stress, structural loads and dynamics, thermodynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion and power systems, as well as subsystem designers to promote mass properties efficient design alternatives

• Experience performing more complex mass properties measurements using rotary-type spin balance machine; ability to interpret results and dynamically balance the test object within requirements

• Take task direction and prioritization from senior engineers and management in mass properties analysis, control, verification and database methods

• Self-starter and able to perform multiple mass properties tasks

• Perform simple mass properties estimation of preliminary design concepts.

• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point, solid modeling applications (IDEAS, Pro-E, or CREO), Mathcad and/or MATLAB, MassTrack/ShipWeight, and an understanding of other software analysis tools.

• Experience as a key contributor for weight control and reduction efforts

• Ability to support technical concerns with respect to weight reductions

• Ability to write Mass Properties procedures, practices and/or specifications

• Experience working on integrated product teams and interacting with other engineering fields, technicians, subcontractors, and customers

• Familiarity with manufacturing and assembly techniques and processes

•  Demonstrated behaviors of a systems thinker with the ability to select and apply appropriate systems thinking skills to solve problems and implement constructive changes

• Missile or space segment design and test experience with one or more subsystems or fields outside of Systems Engineering

•  Excellent written and verbal communications skills, strong social skills, and ability to build consensus among peers while building solid relationships with team members

• Active Secret/Top Secret clearance