Spectrum Communications Team Lead

Mclaurin Aerospace • Houston, TX

29d • Onsite

About The Position

McLaurin is hiring a Spectrum Communications Team Lead for its JETS II contract team at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. This is an onsite position supporting NASA’s deep-space exploration work. The role performs spectrum management and coordination for radio-frequency systems, analyzes communication links and interference, and represents Johnson Space Center in work with NASA centers, federal agencies, and commercial partners. It also leads and schedules the work of spectrum engineers, coordinates tasks with the Project Manager, and maintains strong customer relationships.

The position requires strong knowledge of digital and space communications, RF system analysis, and federal and commercial spectrum regulations. Candidates should be familiar with communication concepts and analysis software described below. The role is posted at multiple levels; the employer may consider candidates at any advertised level depending on experience, requirements, and business needs. McLaurin supports research, publication, and engagement with the academic community, encouraging employees to stay current in their disciplines.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in engineering is typically required, with 5–10 years of related experience; licenses or certifications may be required.
• The listed education and experience alternatives include a BS in engineering and 10 years of related engineering experience, an MS in engineering and 8 years, or a Ph.D. in engineering and 5 years. The posting also states that less experience may be considered for candidates with experience in core competencies.
• A degree from an accredited engineering school; the qualifications also identify a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering or physical sciences.
• College-level RF Communications coursework and good knowledge of communication systems, including digital modulation and demodulation, encoding and decoding, spread-spectrum signals, signal detection, data formatting, and packetizing.
• Strong analytical skills in RF communications.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, and the ability to work in a team environment.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident for three years and successfully complete a U.S. government background investigation. The posting also states that U.S. citizenship and the ability to pass a comprehensive security background investigation are required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with spectrum (frequency) management, including the NTIA spectrum approval process, review of spectrum requests, spectrum sharing, and interference analysis.
• Programming experience with C/C++ and Python.
• Familiarity with analysis software such as MATLAB/Simulink, STK, or other orbital and RF modeling software.
• Familiarity with antennas, antenna polarization, power spectral density, spectral roll-off, adjacent-band interference, and power flux density.

Responsibilities

• Perform spectrum management and coordination tasks for RF systems and work with other NASA centers and federal agencies to resolve spectrum issues.
• Determine RF communication-link performance and create link budgets using analytical methods or analysis and simulation tools.
• Perform RF interference and compatibility analysis for space-based communication systems.
• Reduce and analyze data, and document results for presentation to customers.
• Represent Johnson Space Center and interface with other NASA centers, federal agencies, and commercial partners.
• Provide task scheduling, assign tasks to spectrum engineers, and coordinate tasks with the Project Manager.
• Lead prioritization and assignment of tasks for engineers supporting the Spectrum team.
• Foster strong customer relationships.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

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