Staff Missile Engineer

ARA Career • Indian Head, MD

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Applied Research Associates (ARA) is hiring a Staff Missile Test Engineer to provide engineering support and services for the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Functional Ground Test (FGT) capability. The position is located onsite at Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head in Indian Head, Maryland. Some travel within the continental United States may be required. The role supports operation and maintenance of an FGT platform and the planning, review, reporting, and execution of tests in accordance with approved standard operating procedures (SOPs). Employment is contingent on obtaining at least an Interim Secret clearance from the sponsoring agency. Candidates must be U.S. citizens residing in the United States, able to obtain and maintain a security clearance, medically certified to work with explosives, and willing to submit to random drug testing.

The position is entirely onsite and does not allow a remote or hybrid schedule. The work takes place in a high-activity, open-plan collaborative workspace with active operational equipment, fluorescent lighting, and ambient machinery noise. Visual line-of-sight monitoring and immediate verbal team communication are required at all times, as is regular in-person interaction with onsite team members.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering from an accredited college or university.
• 5–7 years of related experience.
• Experience operating computer-based test systems and components, including commercial systems such as GPS simulators and data processing or recording equipment.
• Ability to interpret software requirements, algorithm specifications, and interface specifications to support software and system performance evaluation.
• Ability to review test data in support of software and system performance evaluation.
• Engineering knowledge and experience in real-time software development, missile or flight simulation and software models, interface programming, user interface programming, and data processing and evaluation programming.
• Experience with interfaces including Ethernet, serial, parallel input/output, and specialized interface cards.
• Experience evaluating and integrating software and simulation models from external sources.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Windows operating systems.
• Familiarity with IntervalZero RTX and programming tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio.
• Familiarity with FORTRAN, C/C++, and Ada programming languages.
• Engineering knowledge and technical writing skills to write and review test plans, test procedures, and test reports.
• Technical writing skills to develop and maintain software documentation, including software test plans, version description documents, and user manuals.
• Engineering knowledge of conducting tests in accordance with approved SOPs, including operating computer-based test system components.
• U.S. citizenship and residence within the United States.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance; employment requires at least an Interim Secret clearance.
• Ability to obtain medical certification for working with explosives.
• Willingness to submit to random drug testing.
• Some CONUS travel may be required.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Linux operating systems.
• Familiarity with Python programming.

Responsibilities

• Provide software and simulation expertise for operating and maintaining a Functional Ground Test (FGT) platform.
• Provide engineering support in preparing test plans and presenting test readiness reviews.
• Write test reports and conduct testing in accordance with approved SOPs and procedures.
• Support software and system performance evaluation by interpreting specifications and reviewing test data.
• Evaluate and integrate software and simulation models from external sources.
• Develop and maintain software documentation, including software test plans, version description documents, and user manuals.
• Operate computer-based test system components in accordance with approved standard operating procedures.

What This Job Offers

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