Systems Engineer

USRA is seeking a Systems Engineer to work with an interdisciplinary team to design, implement and maintain systems supporting NASA Physical Sciences Informatics (PSI, https://www.nasa.gov/PSI).

NASA's Physical Sciences Research Program has conducted significant fundamental and applied research in the physical sciences. The International Space Station (ISS) is an orbiting laboratory that provides an ideal facility to conduct long-duration experiments in the near absence of gravity and allows continuous and interactive research similar to Earth-based laboratories.

This enables scientists to pursue innovations and discoveries not currently achievable by other means. NASA's Physical Sciences Research Program also benefits from collaborations with several of the ISS international partners and foreign governments with space programs.

NASA's Physical Sciences Research Program offers the PSI data repository, in fulfillment of the Open Science model, for physical science experiments performed in reduced-gravity environments such as the ISS, Space Shuttle flights, and Free-flyers. PSI also includes data from some related ground-based studies.

The PSI system is accessible and open to the public. This provides the opportunity for researchers to data mine results from prior flight investigations, expanding on the research performed. This approach will allow numerous ground-based investigations to be conducted from one flight experiment’s data, exponentially increasing our body of knowledge. PSI is an Open Data initiative.

USRA Science and Technology Institute supports PSI through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA, providing science and engineering expertise to implement NASA’s goals on several Earth and Space Science programs at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Essential Duties/Responsibilities: 

•  Advise and recommend improvements. The Data Systems Scientist/IT Lead should be cognizant of comparable systems, Digital Transformation, Open Science, FAIR data, etc.
• Support completion of Level 4 system requirements from Level 1, 2 & 3 requirements
• Lead implementation of new tools (i.e., for enhanced data visualization, metadata harvesting, ingest engines, file transfer, etc.)
• Support team implementing automations (i.e., Forms, API for pre-populating forms)
• Perform development tasks as needed (i.e., move a copy of all data into the AWS Open Science cloud dataspace and initiate YAML file for each dataset)
• Lead planning to evolve system capabilities for AI/ML
   

Required Qualifications: 

 Education:   

• MSc in computer science, engineering, math, earth science, or related fields.

Experience:  

• 10 or more years on:
  1. Systems design, implementation, and operation
  2. Data management
  3. Technology infrastructure management
• Relevant technologies:
  1. AI/ML
  2. SQL
  3. Programming languages: Python, C#, Javascript
  4. Data formats: JSON, XML, HTML, NetCDF/HDF
  5. Wordpress

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:  

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Willingness to work closely with others in a team environment.
• Discipline and initiative.
• Planning/organization.

Working Conditions: Work will be performed in an office or computer lab environment.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; talk or hear. Typing for large time spans each day may be a significant part of this position.

Telework is permitted up to 2 days per week.

U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency are required.

Travel:  1-2 times per year, domestic and/or international.

Applicants should apply to the posting at USRA Careers and include a letter of interest, resume, or curriculum vita. Additional information on USRA can be found at www.usra.edu. 

USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Minorities / Females / Protected Veterans / Disabled / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity.