Operations Technician

Amentum•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Operations Technician supports the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) for the COSMOS mission operations contract at Johnson Space Center. The position provides hands-on support for astronaut training in full-scale spacecraft mockups and prototype training environments for the International Space Station, Commercial Crew (CST/Boeing), and Artemis/Orion programs. Technicians operate and maintain Environmental Control System (ECS) and breathing-air equipment, and may serve as an SVMF Test Director for pressurized suited events after earning a separate qualification. The role includes operating, configuring, inspecting, troubleshooting, and maintaining breathing-air, ECS, control-cart, compressor, backup-air, suit-control, and suit-cooling systems within documented qualifications. It requires disciplined checklist use, pressure and flow awareness, clear communications, emergency response, and accurate equipment and qualification records. Technicians support suited events under Test Director control and respond to anomalies or emergencies. Following separate qualification, a Test Director conducts briefings, verifies readiness, directs pressurized events, manages anomalies, and places an event on hold or terminates it when safety requires. The position requires a high school diploma or equivalent and at least two years of operations, maintenance, or directly related technical experience. Technicians must complete required facility, system, safety, and program-specific training before independent operation. The role may require scheduled training events, drills, and occasional extended-hour, off-shift, or weekend work. Compensation is described as an expected $32–$39 per hour, with a separate compensation detail listing $39.23; actual compensation depends on experience, education, certifications, and other factors.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least 2 years of operations, maintenance, or directly related technical experience to meet SVMF technician candidacy requirements.
Technician III classification normally requires 8 years of related experience.
Ability to read and execute technical procedures, checklists, schematics, operating limits, and emergency actions without skipping critical steps.
Ability to obtain a NASA Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Badge for NASA credentials.
Ability to complete required SVMF common-core and facility orientation, ECS Console OJT, applicable CPR/First Aid/Electrical Contact Release, physiological training, pressure-systems qualification, gas-monitor/MultiRAE training, emergency drills, and program-specific ECS certifications before independent operation.
For Test Director qualification, completion of the SVMF Test Director training outline/checklist and successful oral board after meeting candidacy requirements.
Ability to support scheduled suited events, qualification runs, drills, and occasional extended-hour, off-shift, or weekend operations.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience with mechanical, pneumatic, pressure/flow, instrumentation, industrial equipment, aerospace/test systems, or comparable technical operations.
Current or prior Test Director certification for pressurized suited operations.
Current or prior ECS/Breathing Air Cart Operator certification for ISS, CST/Boeing, Orion, EHP, or comparable human-rated suited training.
Experience with ECS/control carts, K-bottle racks/manifolds, breathing-air compressor carts, suit-control/suit-cooling equipment, gas monitoring, and pressure/flow instrumentation.
Experience supporting EVA/suit operations, hazardous operations, Test Readiness Reviews, Safety Reviews, emergency drills, or formal test conduct.
Experience maintaining auditable operations, maintenance, calibration, or qualification records.
Experience troubleshooting mechanical/pneumatic systems while maintaining configuration and procedural control.
Experience with Office 365 tools and electronic training/maintenance documentation systems.

Responsibilities

Operate, configure, inspect, troubleshoot, and support SVMF breathing-air and ECS equipment within documented qualifications and endorsements.
Complete ECS Operator on-the-job training tasks, including K-bottle installation and changeover, manifold and pressure checks, compressor-cart operation, ECS console preparation, air and water connections, communications checks, airflow and cooling-water control, chiller operation, gauge interpretation, shutdown, and emergency actions.
Verify breathing-gas purity, cleanliness, contamination controls, pressure-system certification and relief-device status, gauges and flowmeters, calibration, sampling, and required quality assurance before human use.
Perform authorized operator maintenance and logbook activities for compressors, drains, filters, hoses and fittings, gauges and flowmeters, gas monitors, and associated ECS equipment; route work outside operator scope through approved engineering or controlled-work processes.
Support suited training under Test Director control and respond immediately to off-nominal conditions, including low-flow or pressure anomalies, loss of the primary air source, contamination concerns, communications loss, facility emergencies, or medical emergencies.
After separate Test Director qualification, conduct event briefings, verify test-team readiness and required checklists, direct pressurized event activities, manage anomalies, and place events on hold or terminate them when safety requires.
Coordinate with suit technicians, suit engineers, instructors and test conductors, communications personnel, facility management, engineering, and other test-team members.
Maintain event checklists, qualification records, equipment logs, calibration and maintenance records, and anomaly documentation.
Support multiple suited-program configurations, including ISS, CST/Boeing, Orion, and EHP, after completing the applicable qualification.
Maintain qualification currency through recurring ECS training, emergency drills, system-specific delta training, suited-event proficiency, and Test Director currency requirements when qualified.
Demonstrate situational awareness, sound stop-work judgment, concise communication, and safe performance in time-critical human-rated operations.
Operate forklifts, manlifts, overhead cranes and rigging, POGO, PABF, scaffolds, or other specialized equipment only when individually qualified and endorsed.