Cable Fabrication Technician II

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

4d•$75,504 - $91,936•Onsite

About The Position

The Cable Fabrication Technician II supports the Electronic Manufacturing, Packaging, & Technical Services Group within JPL’s Mechanical & Control Systems Division. The group provides engineering and technical services involving electronics fabrication, electronic packaging, manufacturing engineering, hardware analysis, technical facilities and cleanroom services, measurement systems, calibration, metrology, inventory management, cryogenics, and flight hardware logistics. The role fabricates and assembles electronic systems, cables, harnesses, and related hardware for engineering models and flight systems. Work includes surface mount technology setup, printed wiring board assembly, hand soldering, connector pin crimping and installation, cable and chassis wiring, and mechanical assembly. The technician operates manufacturing tools and equipment, helps assess and recommend design modifications, and may support customer laboratories and the Spacecraft Assembly Facility during final integration. This is a temporary position that may last up to 36 months, with approvals based on 12-month assignments. The posting states that the temporary employment status may be terminated at any time, with or without notice, and that the position does not constitute an employment contract.

Requirements

High school diploma and at least 6 years of related experience, or an associate's degree and at least 1 year of related experience, plus completion of required technical training.
Experience performing electronic assembly, soldering, crimping, cable/harness fabrication, and connector installation.
Experience with Surface Mount Technology (SMT), printed wiring board assembly, and electromechanical hardware fabrication.
Ability to interpret schematics, wiring diagrams, engineering drawings, and assembly documentation.
Working knowledge of IPC J-STD-001, NASA-STD-8739, or similar high-reliability electronics manufacturing standards.
Experience using precision hand tools, microscopes, test equipment, and manufacturing equipment to build and inspect hardware.
Experience working in cleanroom and ESD-controlled environments while following established procedures and quality requirements.
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot assembly issues, maintain attention to detail, and work effectively in a team-based engineering environment.
Has used innovative and creative approaches to resolve unusual situations.
Has participated on teams within and outside their organization.

Nice To Haves

Ability to perform cable operations including soldering, crimping, routing on mockups, wrapping cable assemblies, testing, potting, and closing connectors; and to operate manual manufacturing tools and equipment for high-reliability cable and harness assemblies.
IPC J-STD-001 and/or NASA 8739 certification training.
Experience in Surface Mount Technology printed wiring assemblies.
Experience with polymeric adhesives, potting, and conformal coating material application and mixing.
Experience with JPL fabrication standards for printed wiring electronic assemblies, cables, and harnesses.
Knowledge of electronic and mechanical fabrication techniques for fabricating and assembling complex mechanical, electronic, electromechanical, cable harness assembly, devices, fixtures, parts, or equipment.
Understanding of work techniques, policies, procedures, and practices for planning, setup, repair, and/or modification of mechanical, electronic, or electromechanical systems, experimental design circuitry, prototype models, or specialized test equipment.
Experience working from schematics, rough sketches, diagrams, layouts, or plans that may require interpretation.
Experience working in cleanroom environments and at ESD workstations.

Responsibilities

Perform surface mount technology setup, printed wiring board electronic assembly, hand soldering, connector pin crimping, cabling, chassis wiring, and mechanical assembly for engineering model and flight electronic systems.
Operate modern and manual manufacturing tools and equipment to produce high-reliability printed wiring electronic assemblies and hybrid/microelectronic assemblies.
Support the manufacturing engineer in assessing and recommending design modifications.
Support customer laboratories and the Spacecraft Assembly Facility in final integration when required.