Mechanical Engineer (Thermal Analysis)
General Summary
Kratos SRE is the worldwide leader in characterization of materials at extreme conditions. Our Thermo-Structural Systems group is looking for a highly qualified and motivated mechanical engineer to lead material research and development test programs in the field of Thermal Protection Systems (TPS). Successful applicants shall have an established background in material thermal analysis and test methodologies. This position is for someone who is willing to become a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the field, and as such we require excellent communication and presentation skills and a good ability to interface with customers and other SMEs from within the research community.
Key Responsibilities
- Communicate with customers to understand their technical needs.
- Design and develop specific material property characterization tests based on customer inputs.
- Use engineering principles and judgment to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternatives.
- Analyze test data, develop statistics, and determine representative sample properties.
- Write technical reports and oral presentations to communicate results and conclusions to customers and propose future testing.
- Monitor cost and schedule of test program to keep programs on schedule and on budget.
- Attend and present R&D work at conferences.
- Improve existing test methods and capabilities.
- Develop new tests methodologies and equipment to meet customer needs.
Work Environment & Conditions
This position involves some work in an office and laboratory environment and could require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) including:
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection (varies based on tasks)
- Shoe covers
Experience and Skills:
Required Qualifications:
- US Citizenship required.
- Must be able to obtain/maintain security clearance at a level equivalent to Department of Defense (DOD) SECRET
- Master’s or Ph.D. in Mechanical or Material Science Engineering.
- Proficiency with MS Office applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Experience with Computer Aided Design software (CAD), parametric modeling, and engineering drawings.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Two to ten years of experience in characterization of materials for high-temperature environments including carbon composites and refractory metals.
- Experience with characterization techniques including but not limited to thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, TGA, DSC, permeability, porosimetry, SEM, FTIR, and NMR.
- Programming experience in MATLAB.