On-Site Flight Systems Test Engineer (Hill AFB, Utah)

About the role

We are seeking a systems test engineer to help evaluate the various flight systems of the Sentinel strategic missile system. This will be an on-site position, working at Hill AFB alongside other on-site APL personnel, our government sponsor, other government mission partners, and the Sentinel prime contractor.

Responsibilities

• Serve as part of APL’s HAFB-based team supporting the Sentinel program, enhancing APL’s ability as an organization to support our government sponsor.
• Maintain regular communications with APL’s program and project managers, line-side leaders and organizations in Laurel, and fellow members of the APL on-site technical team to increase awareness of Sentinel activities, developments, decisions, areas of concern, and opportunities where APL can help the Sentinel program.
• Interface directly with the sponsor to understand their needs, and work with APL’s Sentinel key leaders and fellow members of APL’s on-site technical team to recommend, support, and execute work in support of the Sentinel Program Office’s desire to “own the technical baseline.”
• Support system-level trade studies including aerodynamics, propulsion, GNC, and structures with a focus on missile flight test operational envelopes, release parameters, safe-separation criteria, and trajectory constraints, and ensuring compliance with safety and performance limits.
• Support live flight test activities including knowledge of test hardware, instrumentation, data acquisition, and range safety requirements.
• Participate in milestone reviews, test readiness reviews, mission briefings, and sponsor Technical Interface Meetings (TIMs) to keep all stakeholders aligned on objectives and risks.
• Synthesize complex engineering data into concise briefings and generate recommendations that enable sponsor decision-making and highlight opportunities for further APL support.

Requirements

• Have a B.S. in Engineering, Mathematics or Physics (or closely related technical field), with 2+ years of relevant technical professional experience.
• Have experience in test engineering, flight test analysis, or the development of flight systems.
• Have a strong sense of curiosity to understand how and why a system works and the ambition to follow up on that curiosity.
• Be a thought leader with a keen ability to influence others.
• Able to effectively shape the day-to-day tasking to meet sponsor needs, multi-task, and adapt to changing demands with minimal guidance.
• Have exceptionally strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills, and ability to interface with senior military and civil service personnel.
• Willing to relocate to Utah in the vicinity of Hill AFB, with periodic travel to APL, contractor sites, and to other locations.
• Willing and able to travel occasionally (potentially 5-6 trips per year of duration one week or less, including travel back to the APL Laurel campus).
• Hold an active Secret security clearance and are able to obtain a Top Secret/SCI level clearance.

Qualifications

• Meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...
• Have a B.S. in Engineering, Mathematics or Physics (or closely related technical field), with 2+ years of relevant technical professional experience.
• Have experience in test engineering, flight test analysis, or the development of flight systems.
• Have a strong sense of curiosity to understand how and why a system works and the ambition to follow up on that curiosity.
• Are a thought leader with a keen ability to influence others.
• Able to effectively shape the day-to-day tasking to meet sponsor needs, multi-task, and adapt to changing demands with minimal guidance.
• Have exceptionally strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills, and ability to interface with senior military and civil service personnel.
• Willing to relocate to Utah in the vicinity of Hill AFB, with periodic travel to APL, contractor sites, and to other locations.
• Willing and able to travel occasionally (potentially 5-6 trips per year of duration one week or less, including travel back to the APL Laurel campus).
• Hold an active Secret security clearance and are able to obtain a Top Secret/SCI level clearance.