Test & Evaluation Engineer

Cortina Solutions•Colorado Springs, CO

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Cortina Solutions, LLC is seeking a Test and Evaluation Engineer to work with our team to support the United States Space Force Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) Test and Evaluation Squadrons (TES) at Schriever SFB in Colorado Springs, CO. An active TS/SCI security clearance is required. Applicants should have experience in acquisition lifecycle and multiple phases of the test and evaluation process. Strong applicants will have experience with contractor or developmental testing, operational testing, and live-fire testing, particularly testing of space systems, and the role of modeling and simulation (M&S) and hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) in a test campaign. Experience in evaluating both small subsystems' test results and major system program results is highly desired. In addition, applicants should have familiarity with major DoD acquisition programs as part of the Space Force acquisition process. Successful applicants should be adept at breaking complex systems into functional elements and determining test objectives applicable to each. Test Engineers/Operations Analysts must have the ability to self-teach to stay current with the best T&E and M&S tools and techniques for evaluating capabilities. Additionally, they must understand the advantages and limitations of differing techniques for solving a particular problem. Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of space systems tests & experiments Design, develop, and execute advanced test/experimentation programs and processes to conduct assessment of space systems Apply optimal scientific and statistical tools such as design of experiments to increase test efficiency and produce actionable test results Create/review test engineering documentation to include test plans, Test Information Sheets, Safety Packages, Data Analysis. Management Plans, Technical and Safety Review Board Briefs, Test Readiness Briefs, Test Cards, and Test/Analysis Reports as required Perform analysis on pre-test predictions, including those obtained through M&S and HWIL, to design test events and profiles, define data collection requirements, and develop go/no-go criteria to meet test objectives Work with programs to perform reviews of systems, sub-systems, and components to ensure the data management and analysis plan (DMAP) provides proper data collection for real-time and post-mission data processing, evaluation, and analysis to meet test/experimentation objectives Set up data analysis requests, process data, perform data quality control review and anomaly resolution, and analyze data as per the data analysis plan Execute simulations to predict or evaluate system effectiveness or suitability under relevant operational conditions and scenarios Monitor the gathering of M&S data and guide test result evaluation to determine if system configurations and architecture meet customer specifications and performance expectations Create Test Reports/Presentations of complex data sets Create/enhance data analysis tools

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree preferably in Operations Research, Engineering, Math, Probability, Statistics or Science
5+ years of demonstrated Systems &/or Test Engineering experience with space, ground, operations, and sustainment segments of DoD
An understanding of test, evaluation and experimentation and the distinctions between developmental, operational, and integrated test
Comfortable with methodologies including modeling and simulation, laboratory testing, open-air testing, and live-fire testing and supporting skills such as modeling and simulation, system decomposition, design of experiments and response surface methodologies, regression testing, and validation of models and simulations
Team mentality to provide integrated engineering/analysis support for design reviews, test planning working groups, test card prep, disciplined test execution, and collaborative authorship of post flight reports
Willingness to accept changing and evolving roles & responsibilities in support of customer requirements and needs
Aptitude and patience to process and analyze complex system test/experimentation data
Technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: Space-related data communications, EO/IR/RF Sensors, Spacecraft GNC, Space system Architectures, Space Battle Management and Control, Cyber
Active TS/SCI security clearance

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Operations Research, Engineering, Math, Probability, Statistics or Science with 10+ years of demonstrated experience
Space Weapons officer (W13S/13S), with understanding of joint operations environment, and/or Offensive/Defensive space tactics &/OR graduate of specialized T&E training (e.g., USAFTPS Space Test Course)
DoD Acquisition Professional Development (ADPD) Test and Evaluation Level 3 certification
Experience within the DoD or as a Defense Contractor working in test and evaluation
Knowledge of orbital mechanics and astrodynamics
Space operations and/or orbital mechanics
Statistical techniques for approaching complex problems with large amounts of data
Application of operations research techniques and supporting skills such as database query languages, design of experiment and response surface methodologies, scripting language programming, and development of appropriate models and simulations

Responsibilities

Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of space systems tests & experiments
Design, develop, and execute advanced test/experimentation programs and processes to conduct assessment of space systems
Apply optimal scientific and statistical tools such as design of experiments to increase test efficiency and produce actionable test results
Create/review test engineering documentation to include test plans, Test Information Sheets, Safety Packages, Data Analysis. Management Plans, Technical and Safety Review Board Briefs, Test Readiness Briefs, Test Cards, and Test/Analysis Reports as required
Perform analysis on pre-test predictions, including those obtained through M&S and HWIL, to design test events and profiles, define data collection requirements, and develop go/no-go criteria to meet test objectives
Work with programs to perform reviews of systems, sub-systems, and components to ensure the data management and analysis plan (DMAP) provides proper data collection for real-time and post-mission data processing, evaluation, and analysis to meet test/experimentation objectives
Set up data analysis requests, process data, perform data quality control review and anomaly resolution, and analyze data as per the data analysis plan
Execute simulations to predict or evaluate system effectiveness or suitability under relevant operational conditions and scenarios
Monitor the gathering of M&S data and guide test result evaluation to determine if system configurations and architecture meet customer specifications and performance expectations
Create Test Reports/Presentations of complex data sets
Create/enhance data analysis tools