Flammability & Nonmetallic Materials Engineer

Mclaurin Aerospace • Houston, TX

9d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is for a Flammability & Nonmetallic Materials Engineer on the JETS II contract team at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. The role involves providing leadership and expertise in the selection, testing, and characterization of textile and nonmetallic materials for various NASA programs. This includes supporting projects related to flammability testing in high oxygen atmospheres, ignition characterization, battery thermal runaway tests, and the evaluation of soft goods and polymeric materials exposed to different environments. The engineer will also coordinate flammability tests, develop test coupons, review technical documents, and perform material testing. The position requires a strong understanding of high-performance polymers and flammability testing standards, as well as the ability to work effectively in a team and manage multiple tasks.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering and a minimum of 2-5 years of experience in the field or in a related area.
• BS, MS, or PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Fire Science and Engineering, or related field and a minimum of 2 years of direct experience in the field, preferably with some understanding or experience in textiles.
• Familiar with high performance polymers that are commonly in film, foam, or fiber form, such as PTFE, PVDF, Aramids, Polyimide, PEEK, PBI, etc.
• Familiarity with flammability testing, fire testing, flame testing or combustion testing on polymers.
• Experience in characterization methods, such as FTIR, DSC, TGA, SEM/EDS. Familiar with polymer testing standards.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and productively with team members and cross functional team.
• Problem solver and quick learner with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills include the ability to prepare and give presentations.
• US Citizenship and the ability to pass a comprehensive security background investigation is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with textiles for structural applications.
• Previous experience supporting a NASA project.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for projects related to textile materials selection, flammability testing in high oxygen atmospheres, ignition characterization, battery thermal runaway tests, and related test campaigns across multiple NASA centers, partner agencies and commercial entities
• Support various NASA programs by providing nonmetallic and fibrous materials expertise for the selection of soft goods and polymeric materials exposed to different atmospheres, high vacuum, and extreme temperatures. This support applies to any type of soft goods and polymeric materials: rigid and semi-rigid plastics, thin films, coatings, foams, textiles, and their finishing treatments.
• Provide technical leadership on nonmetallic material and fibrous materials selection to use in Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) development for various NASA programs.
• Support NASA Materials and Processes (M&P) engineers with respect to the evaluation and selection of nonmetallic and fibrous materials
• Act as primary engineer coordinating various flammability, ignition and combustion tests in accordance with NASA-STD-6001 with the White Sands Test Facility.
• Direct development of flammability configuration coupons made from various soft goods and polymeric materials.
• Review NASA reports, requirement documents, proposals, conference papers, journal articles related to nonmetallics and fibrous materials.
• Perform testing and characterization on nonmetallic materials as needed.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Positive work-life balance
• 100% Employer paid insurance including: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term disability, and long-term disability
• 11 paid holidays annually
• Generous PTO
• 401k after 12 months of service with employer match
• Education assistance
• Relocation assistance (if applicable)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level