Structures Engineer, Senior

COLSA•Chicopee, MA

21h

About The Position

This Senior Structures Engineer role involves providing extensive system engineering expertise in structures design, integration, manufacturing, quality, and airworthiness for aircraft systems. The position requires a deep understanding and application of various Air Force directives, military standards, and safety requirements to ensure the structural integrity and airworthiness of products. The engineer will assist the U.S. Government (USG) in disciplined engineering activities, ensuring Operational Safety, Suitability, and Effectiveness (OSS&E) compliance throughout the life cycle of weapon systems. COLSA values its employees as its most valuable resource, fostering an employee-centric culture.

Requirements

System engineering expertise in structures design and integration, manufacturing, quality and industrial engineering, airworthiness and configuration and data management.
Structures systems expertise including Interface Control Documents, open system architecture, hardware, and software.
Technical expertise on all aspects of aircraft structural integrity and airworthiness.
Ability to provide analysis and recommendations to systems suitability for installation, functionality and reliability of systems and readiness of existing manufacturing processes.
Understanding and execution of Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 62-6, USAF Airworthiness, associated AFIs and Airworthiness Bulletins.
Ability to understand and apply MIL-HDBK-516C Airworthiness Certification Criteria.
Understanding and execution of requirements prescribed on MIL-STD-1530, JSSG-2006, MIL-STD-1568, and MIL-HDBK-516 for durability and damage tolerance, aircraft loads, material processes and standards, corrosion protection, and structural dynamics.
Safety expertise including compliance with MIL-STD-882, FAA safety requirements, and risk packages.
Understanding of DoD, AF, and common engineering/scientific principles, processes, and procedures.
Ability to support System Integrity Programs including Mechanical Systems Integrity Program (MECSIP), maintaining and updating the Critical Safety Item (CSI) list, and monitoring airworthiness certification.
Ability to translate user requirements into weapons system requirements.
Ability to translate production and operational requirements into design, fabrication and testing objectives.
Ability to develop requirements and technology needs into action plans and policies.
Ability to perform technical/mission analyses of existing and future operational requirements, develop system concepts and perform technological/trade-off assessments.
Ability to provide rapid response engineering service and support.
Ability to conduct system safety engineering program, including mishap risk assessments; evaluating contractor safety proposals and safety analyses; evaluating safety concerns; and assisting with resolution of high priority safety issues.
Ability to perform material solution analyses leading up to design reviews.
Ability to produce or support development of draft documentation and presentation materials.
Ability to produce or review products including technical evaluations/plans; engineering studies, reports, and analyses; and acquisition strategies/plans (ICD, ORD/CDD, CONOPS, CPD, SRD, System Specification, RFPs, SEP, TEMP, ATPs, PESHE, etc.).
Ability to develop and collect technical data and inputs for staff summary packages and executive briefings.
Ability to analyze equipment and software deficiencies; make recommendations for corrections; and develop, integrate, and test solutions.
Ability to perform engineering evaluation of prime and subcontractor recommendations for operational and support issues (ACSN, ECPs, CCPs, FAA bulletins, modification proposals, DMSMS, program risk).
Ability to develop and evaluate IMP, IMS, and SEDS engineering cost estimates.
Ability to perform an advisory role for program weapon system contractor source selections on all engineering related requirements.
Ability to assist with the implementation of the SEP and advise the USG of pertinent shortfalls or gaps.
Ability to participate in value stream mapping activities and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century.
Ability to assist in milestone preparation and engineering evaluation of OEM and subcontractor recommendations.
Ability to apply OSS&E and airworthiness processes, provide risk assessments, safety analysis and recommendations, and address high priority safety issues.

Responsibilities

Provide system engineering expertise in structures design and integration, manufacturing, quality and industrial engineering, airworthiness and configuration and data management.
Provide structures systems expertise including but not limited to Interface Control Documents, open system architecture, hardware, and software.
Provide technical expertise on all aspects of aircraft structural integrity and airworthiness.
Provide analysis and recommendations to systems suitability for installation, functionality and reliability of systems and readiness of existing manufacturing processes.
Understand and execute Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 62-6, USAF Airworthiness, associated AFIs and Airworthiness Bulletins through standardized processes and issuance of flight authorizations.
Understand and apply MIL-HDBK-516C Airworthiness Certification Criteria, to aircraft systems and subsystems.
Understand and execute requirements prescribed on MIL-STD-1530, JSSG-2006, MIL-STD-1568, and MIL-HDBK-516 to assist in providing support for requirements compliance assessment in the areas of durability and damage tolerance, aircraft loads, material processes and standards, corrosion protection, and structural dynamics.
Provide safety expertise to include compliance with MIL-STD-882, FAA safety requirements, and risk packages.
Assist the USG in the performance of disciplined engineering activities to assure OSS&E for all products.
Follow the Life Cycle Systems Engineering (LCSE) and OSS&E related AFIs and all lower-level supplements and related documents including applicable OIs.
Assist with establishing, implementing, and adhering to LCSE processes to ensure OSS&E compliance is achieved and maintained.
Aid the Air Force in reviewing and updating the OSS&E baseline document and shall support the Air Force in the identification of OSS&E elements, progress reporting of OSS&E metrics, and interaction with other organizations to ensure continued OSS&E compliance.
Assist in the development, procurement, sustainment and modification of aircraft structures systems, sub-systems, components and equipment.
Assist in development and maintenance of critical structures systems engineering documentation including but not limited to specifications, system requirements documents, and SEPs.
Assist in the translation of requirements into prime contractor engineering documents (and procedures to ensure the robust application of systems engineering processes across all program development, production, and sustainment tasks.
Assist with evaluating technical documents, determining sufficiency for demonstrating compliance with specification and airworthiness, summarizing findings, recommending changes, and communicating all results to the program office.
Apply an understanding of DoD, AF, and common engineering/scientific principles, processes, and procedures to improve performance and sustainability of existing and future AF and joint service weapon systems.
Support the System Integrity Programs including Mechanical Systems Integrity Program (MECSIP), assist in maintaining and updating the Critical Safety Item (CSI) list, and monitor airworthiness certification for mission partner aircraft.
Assist in translating user requirements into weapons system requirements, which will be used to design, develop, fabricate, test and evaluate weapons systems, subsystems and equipment for eventual fielding and deployment.
Assist in translating production and operational requirements into design, fabrication and testing objectives.
Assist with the development of requirements and technology needs into action plans and policies necessary to improve and retain world class manufacturing, operations, re-manufacturing, and de-militarization/disposal of weapon system capabilities within the USAF.
Assist in performing technical/mission analyses of existing and future operational requirements, assist in developing system concepts and perform technological/trade-off assessments of proposed designs/modifications.
Assist in providing rapid response engineering service and support as augmentation to organic resources through in-depth problem identification, impact assessment, and development of corrective actions for critical supportability problems.
Support and assist in conducting the system safety engineering program, including mishap risk assessments; evaluating contractor safety proposals and safety analyses; evaluating safety concerns of using and support commands; and assisting with resolution of high priority safety issues.
Assist in performing material solution analyses leading up to design reviews.
Assist in producing or supporting development of draft documentation and presentation materials as requested or necessitated by programmatic limits based on cost, schedule, and performance.
Assist in providing support to produce or review products that include the following: technical evaluations/plans; engineering studies, reports, and analyses; and acquisition strategies/plans such as: ICD; Operational Requirements Document (ORD)/CDD; CONOPS; CPD; System Requirements Document (SRD); System Specification; RFPs; System Engineering Plan (SEP); Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP); Test Acceptance Procedures (ATPs); Program Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health Evaluation (PESHE); information support plan; PPP; Technology Assessment/Control Plan (TA/CP); emerging technology assessments and Technology Transition Plans (TTPs); Information Assurance Strategy (IAS); Security Classification Guide (SCG); Alternative Live Fire Test and Evaluation Plan; Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA) compliance; Consideration of Technology Issues; Data Management Strategy; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Survivability Assessments; Net-Centric Data Strategy; Spectrum Supportability Determination; Technical Data Rights Strategy; Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA); Manufacturing Readiness Assessment (MRA); and other program/technical documents as required.
Assist in developing and collecting technical data and inputs for staff summary packages and executive briefings to support coordination and signature of all associated documents for milestone approvals.
Support project team meetings, working groups, and reviews as needed, such as: SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, TCM, TIM, FCA, PCA, PRR, PMR, and other meetings/working groups/reviews as applicable.
Assist in analyzing equipment and software deficiencies; make recommendations for equipment and software deficiency corrections; and assist in developing, integrating, and testing equipment and software deficiency solutions.
Assist the USG in the engineering evaluation of prime and subcontractor recommendations for operational and support issues including but not limited to evaluations of Advance Change Study Notices (ACSN), ECPs, Contract Change Proposal (CCPs), FAA bulletins, modification proposals, DMSMS, program risk, and related documents.
Assist in the development and evaluation of IMP, IMS, and Systems Engineering Detail Schedule (SEDS) engineering cost estimates.
Perform, as required, an advisory role for program weapon system contractor source selections on all engineering related requirements.
Assist with the implementation of the SEP throughout program operations and advise the USG of pertinent shortfalls or gaps for which corrective actions may be needed.
Participate in value stream mapping activities and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century
Assist in milestone preparation as well as engineering evaluation of OEM and subcontractor recommendations for operational and support issues such as: evaluations of Advance Change Study Notices, ECPs, Contractor Change Proposals, FAA bulletins, and related documents.
Assist in producing and/or reviewing technical evaluations, engineering studies, reports, analyses, and acquisition plans and strategies.
Apply OSS&E and airworthiness processes, as well as assist in providing risk assessments, safety analysis and recommendations, and address high priority safety issues.