ASCEND Aerospace & Technology, LLC (ASCEND) is an All-Small Mentor-Protégé Program (ASMPP) Joint Venture (JV) between Aerodyne Industries, LLC and Amentum Technology Inc., that leverages our 12+ year collaboration as award-winning NASA contractors. Through our ASCEND partner companies, we have 62+ years of experience working for NASA and currently manage 5,500 employees across nine NASA Centers. With this foundation of expertise, we are dedicated to helping every mission succeed—today and into the future.

Job Description

The Contract for Organizing Spaceflight Mission Operations and Systems (COSMOS), NASA’s next-generation mission operations contract, has an excellent opportunity for a System Test Engineer to join the team of testers responsible for testing the software releases used in NASA Johnson Space Center’s Mission Control Center (MCC). The MCC System Test teams are responsible for testing at a system level, testing custom software, and changes to computing infrastructure (data centers, networks, firewalls, and other specialty equipment). The applicant will work in a dynamic team environment and will be responsible for working with the NASA customer, users, software engineers, and commercial and international partners to capture and understand system requirements, operations concepts, and develop test plans and procedures for execution. Travel required 1–2 times per year, typically lasting several days per trip. COSMOS ensures the continuity of critical human spaceflight support by providing mission control services, advanced training systems, and full-scale spacecraft mockups for astronaut preparation and engineering analysis.

Description of Duties

The System Test Engineer is responsible for working in a dynamic team environment and will be responsible for working with the NASA customer, other systems engineers, users, and software engineers to test the baseline software utilized in the MCC. The candidate will perform procedure and document reviews, as well as, participate in the decomposition of system architecture requirements and development of test procedures to verify those requirements, and plan test objectives for test runs. The candidate should have a good understanding of the full software development life cycle from planning, design, building, testing, deployment and maintenance.

Successful candidates will:

Be curious and willing to learn
Execute test procedures, and documenting actual test results against expected results
Perform systems requirements analysis, functional analysis, timeline analysis, requirements allocation,
and interface definition
Perform testing of MCCS facilities, environments, and subsystems that support all programs and vehicles, including, but not limited to ISS, SpaceX, CST-100, Orion, SLS, ICPS, and HLS
Review and contribute to MCCS Level A & B requirements, CRs, designs, documentation and other implementation artifacts
Decompose system architecture requirements and develop test procedures to verify those requirements, as well as, plan test objectives for test runs
Develop, maintain, and execute test procedures linked to requirements.
Develop test plans to support detailed test procedures
Coordinate with and support other test team members to accomplish planned tests/tasks.
Conduct real-time coordination via voice loops with personnel operating the MCCS infrastructure and vehicle test labs/simulators
Perform maintenance and recommend enhancements to existing test procedures
Document test run results (i.e. generate Test Status Reports)
Support peer reviews of test plans and reports prior to publication
Make improvements and suggestions to advance overall system test capabilities
Participate in peer reviews of test products to ensure quality results (Quality assurance)
Possess strong team-building skills across multi-functional areas that establish a collaborative operational structure including active listening, prompt service and follow-up
Exhibit proven track record of working under tight deadlines
Have a high degree of self-motivation and the ability to work independently
Have a keen attention to detail/be detail-oriented
Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Exhibit professional behavior that promotes teamwork, fosters cooperation, and enhances productivity in the workplace.
Be well organized with the ability to coordinate, prioritize and execute multiple tasks simultaneously in a high-pressure environment.

Job Requirements

Must have one of the following combinations of education and experience: Bachelor’s/Master’s degree and 2 to 5 years of general experience.

Preferred candidates will hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, MIS, Math or other related area, plus 0 – 2 years of direct experience related to space flight operations, control center operations and/or ground or space network operations. Related experience can be in one or more of the following skill areas:
- Spacecraft ground processing systems
- Telemetry, command or trajectory data systems
- Space-to-ground communication systems
- Large network data transport systems
- International Space Station communication systems
Progressive related experience in space flight network or control center operations is acceptable
Be highly motivated, willing to learn and apply new concepts, tools, and software
Have good problem solving and analytical skills
Have strong decision making and problem resolution capabilities
Be team oriented. Ability to work as part of a team or as an individual contributor
Be able to work independently with minimal supervision and professionally represent the program
Possess strong coordination and communication skills, both oral and written
Have excellent interpersonal skills
Be capable of supporting schedules and meeting deadlines
Be detail-oriented
Be able to work a flexible and dynamic work schedule
- Test events frequently require 8+ hours
- Test events occasionally scheduled for night and weekend shifts due to availability of MCCS and/or lab resources

Good problem solving and analytical skills; detail-oriented
Must be able to obtain a NASA Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Badge for NASA credentials

The individual should possess strong initiative, be a team player (teamwork), be flexible to changing program needs, and possess strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills. The job requires close communication and collaboration with other engineers, the software development community and members of the user community to successfully perform analysis and test preparation. The successful candidate will be a self-learner, curious and familiar with SW engineering; will be detail oriented and have clear concise communication (able to explain technical concepts and test status up and out). To be successful, the candidate shall have the ability to work towards deadlines and deliver quality products.

Desired Requirements

Experience with Office 365 Tools
Leadership skills
Knowledge of current and upcoming US manned space vehicles (such as International Space Station, Boeing Starliner, Lockheed Martin Orion, SpaceX Dragon, Human Landing System, etc) communication systems, radios, computers, video, voice systems, satellite systems, and antennas
Familiarity with MCCS COMM, voice, and/or video subsystems highly desirable
Previous experience with automation, Linux, Git, and Python
Familiarity with scripting languages and tools
Familiarity with MDT displays and MDT display creation
Familiarity with ServiceNow

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status.

Final compensation is determined through a comprehensive evaluation of several key factors, including the candidate’s educational background, specialized technical expertise, and relevant professional experience. We also consider internal equity, prevailing market data, and specific contractual or funding requirements to ensure competitive and equitable offer alignment.

Systems Test Engineer- COS-1032-017

About the Role

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