The Rocket Propulsion Research Engineer will be at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA supporting the research and development of in-space electric propulsion technologies.

• Must be a U.S. citizen able to pass a background check and obtain a security clearance.
• Education: PhD preferred (MS acceptable) in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a similar degree.
• Experience with standard operating procedures, motion control systems and plasma diagnostic tools as used in vacuum test facilities.
• Experience with LabVIEW, especially regarding the control of experimental hardware and data acquisition.
• Experience with MATLAB or Python or some similar programming language.
• Experience preparing written reports describing the methods, analysis, and results of experiments.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative research environment.
• Highly motivated to develop space exploration technology.

• Demonstrated ability to build-up and operate experiments involving charged particles or plasmas to address specific research topics and test objectives, or meet detailed technical requirements.
• Experience building, testing, and operating electrical circuits used to provide power, control hardware and instruments, or acquire data signals, including operating and troubleshooting high-speed electronics and data acquisition systems (>1kV).
• Experience with non-invasive diagnostics including but not limited to optical diagnostics.
• Experience designing or operating equipment and circuits for applications involving high-voltages (>1 kV).
• Experience designing and building components using conventional machining methods, including applying methods of microfabrication or nanofabrication.
• Experience operating vacuum systems, knowledgeable of best practices at pressures ranging from 10-4 to 10-7 Torr, or lower.
• Knowledge of or experience applying diagnostics for custom applications involving plasma devices are charged particle beams, including time-of-flight systems, retarding potential analyzers, plasma probes (e.g. Langmuir probes, emissive probes, Faraday cups, ExB probes), or thrust stands.
• Experience operating experiments or tests involving Hall-effect thrusters, ionic liquid electrosprays, or other electric propulsion technologies. Experience with plasma beams, ion beams, or other devices manipulating or controlling charged particles.
• Experience with National Instruments DAQ and/or Allen-Bradley automation systems
• Experience with data-driven techniques in exploring plasma physics.
• Strong communications skills, both written and verbal. Experience presenting papers at conferences or publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals.

• Lifting: Must be able to open heavy vacuum chamber doors (5%).
• Crawling: May be necessary to move through some tight spaces to access wiring, etc. (5%).
• Special clothing/equipment (wearing): Must wear clean room clothing when in clean room (10%). Must always wear appropriate lab attire when in the lab (100%).
• High noise level: Potentially high noise levels when working in machine shop (20%).

• Inside? Outside? Combination? Where?: Mostly Inside (95%), some vacuum equipment is outside (5%).
• Hazardous conditions - What are they?: Will work with potentially hazardous chemicals (25%) and high voltages/currents (25%).
• Travel/transportation requirements: Should be able to operate standard consumer vehicles (5%).

• Office equipment/machines electrically/battery operated - which?: Desk computer/laptop (50%), printers, etc. (5%)
• Vehicles, forklifts, etc. operated which?: Should be able to operate standard consumer vehicles (5%).
• Tools used in trade - which ones?: Basic hand tools, power tools, mills, lathes, CNC (25%). Basic laboratory equipment, multi-meters, power supplies, etc. (25%).

• Overtime, regular days, off days: Standard benefits vary by contractor.
• Shift, 1st,: 9-80 schedule
• Necessity for regular attendance: 100%
• Urgency for punctuality: 100%