Engineering Technician III

KBR, Inc.•Mountain View, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

KBR, under contract to US Geological Survey (USGS), is seeking an Engineering Technician to provide field support for the USGS Earthquake Science Center mission in Moffett Field, California. The USGS requires installation, operation, and maintenance of seismic stations in the National Strong Motion Project (NSMP) and Northern California Seismic Network (NCSN) as part of the Earthquake Monitoring Project. The successful candidate will be responsible for a wide variety of equipment used for seismic monitoring, structural health monitoring, power distribution, and communications.

Requirements

Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience performing tasks similar to those above.
Thorough understanding and experience applying the principles, theories, and practices of electronics in order to install, repair, maintain, test, and modify digital electronic circuits, communications links, and electro-mechanical systems, and observatory quality digital seismological field equipment with critical tolerance or performance characteristics.
Knowledge of observatory quality digital, real-time seismograph network field and laboratory operations.
Knowledge of Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) field system equipment, including component and parts compatibility.
Working knowledge of the installation and operation of seismograph stations and/or electronic equipment.
Working knowledge of the use of field seismic network computer software.
Must be in good physical condition, having the ability to lift heavy objects, work in adverse conditions, climb vertical ladders up to 60 feet, move equipment up to distances of 120 feet, work in confined spaces, and maneuver in tight areas above building ceilings, to include interstitial spaces.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
General experience using Microsoft Project, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
Ability to work in MAC-OS, Windows, and terminal environments (e.g., Linux or Unix).
Experience with system and component design, fabrication, system integration, and testing.
Attention to detail.
US Citizenship required.
Valid state driver’s license and a safe driving record required.

Nice To Haves

AA or AS degree plus 2 years of related experience; or in lieu of a degree, 4 years of related experience.

Responsibilities

Installation of new sites and upgrading and maintaining existing sites with state-of-the-art digital seismic recording equipment.
The work requires understanding of and the ability to install, configure, and troubleshoot sophisticated electronic components including but not limited to seismometers, data loggers, power systems, cellular modems, and radios.
Reconnaissance of structures, utilizing plans, drawings, and records from previous site visits; documents both structural and non-structural peculiarities that could hamper system installation, influence transducer response, or in any way compromise reliable system operation.
Monitoring of station operations and assisting USGS Technicians in addressing outages quickly to minimize impacts on the whole system.
Keeping proper records and documentation, including, but not limited to, station maintenance histories, field files, landowner information, and equipment databases.
Submits accurate change forms when altering station configuration.
Assist in permitting as required.
Working with USGS technicians and scientists from USGS and other institutions on special studies and field response to significant earthquakes.
Travel on a frequent basis to station locations in northern California and the surrounding region.
Occasional travel across the United States and Puerto Rico.