Data Acquisition Hardware Engineer- COSMOS 2012-025
Summary
Early-to-mid-level hardware/data acquisition engineer on NASA's COSMOS mission-operations contract, on-site at Johnson Space Center. Day-to-day: designing DAQ and low-voltage control systems, schematic capture/PCB work, PLC/HMI/SCADA programming, and sustaining mission-critical platform hardware for mission control and astronaut training facilities.
ASCEND Aerospace & Technology, LLC (ASCEND) is an All-Small Mentor-Protégé Program (ASMPP) Joint Venture (JV) between Aerodyne Industries, LLC and Amentum Technology Inc., that leverages our 12+ year collaboration as award-winning NASA contractors. Through our ASCEND partner companies, we have 62+ years of experience working for NASA and currently manage 5,500 employees across nine NASA Centers. With this foundation of expertise, we are dedicated to helping every mission succeed—today and into the future.
Job Description
This position is for an early to mid-level Platform Hardware and Data Acquisition engineer with 5-10 years of experience on the Contract for Organizing Spaceflight Mission Operations and Systems (COSMOS), which is NASA’s next-generation mission operations contract located on-site at Johnson Space Center. COSMOS ensures the continuity of critical human spaceflight support by providing mission control services, advanced training systems, and full-scale spacecraft mockups for astronaut preparation and engineering analysis
Description of Duties
- Oversee the installation, hardware upgrades, and lifecycle management for diverse hardware platforms and compute environments.
- Perform root-cause analysis, hardware failure isolation, parts replacement, and vendor RMA coordination for mission platform hardware.
- Collaborate closely with virtualization, storage, and network engineering teams to integrate platform hardware into secure, high-availability networks.
- Design, develop, integrate, and sustain low-voltage control systems, and data acquisition infrastructure.
- Lead the design, schematic capture, and component selection for platform hardware, custom electronic assemblies, and modular DAQ systems.
- Architect, program, and integrate low-voltage control systems, PLCs (ladder logic, function blocks, HMI/SCADA), and single-board computers (SBCs) handling GPIO, SPI, I²C, and UART interfaces for test stands, fixtures, and platform consoles.
- Develop and maintain detailed technical documentation, including cabinet/console layouts, facility floor plans, wiring diagrams, cable running lists, and engineering instructions.
- Manage Bills of Materials (BOM), component lifecycles, and procurement requests; coordinate with fabrication, assembly, and mechanical engineering vendors.
- Translate operational concepts and customer requirements into engineering designs; provide technical status, schedule inputs, cost/labor estimates, and design presentations to management and NASA stakeholders.
- Troubleshoot complex system anomalies, perform root-cause analysis, and provide sustaining engineering support for mission-critical systems during nominal and occasional off-nominal operational windows.
Successful candidates will:
- Demonstrate strong technical problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills with minimal supervision.
- Excel at bridging hardware, firmware, mechanical, and software domains in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team environment.
- Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal technical teams, leadership, and external customer stakeholders.
- Maintain a proactive approach to continuous learning, process improvement, and rigorous configuration management.
- Exhibit flexibility to support implementation and mission-critical operational activities during occasional off-nominal hours (evenings, weekends, holidays).
Job Requirements
Must have the following education and experience: Bachelor/Master of Science degree and minimum of 3 years of general experience. The candidate must be able to obtain a NASA Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Badge for NASA credentials.
Core Technical Skills
- Direct experience in hardware platform development, circuit design, and system integration.
- Experience in schematic capture and PCB layouts,
- Solid foundation in analog/digital interfaces, power delivery, signal integrity, circuit protection, and high-speed interfaces (PCIe, DDR, Ethernet).
- Hands-on experience designing DAQ systems (analog/digital I/O, signal conditioning) and working with industrial communication protocols (Modbus TCP/RTU, CAN, OPC UA, EtherNet/IP).
- Knowledge of embedded systems, firmware interaction, and low-level hardware/software integration.
Additional Skills
- Experience deploying and managing HPE Synergy infrastructure.
- Strong background in enterprise compute architecture, PCIe topology, fibre channel SAN connectivity, and ethernet networking.
- Experience with electrical panel design, cabinet/rack integration, and custom cable harness fabrication and testing.
- Working knowledge of IP-based voice/video architectures, audio distribution equipment, or GPS timing systems.
- Experience coordinating small-batch fabrication, mechanical enclosure constraints (thermal, ingress, mounting), and Design for Manufacturing/Assembly (DFM/DFA).
Desired Requirements
- Prior experience supporting NASA/JSC facilities, Mission Control Center platform systems, flight control rooms, flight simulation/training facilities, avionics, compute infrastructure, or ruggedized control environments.
- Direct familiarity with formal engineering change processes, readiness test protocols, and configuration management practices.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status.
Final compensation is determined through a comprehensive evaluation of several key factors, including the candidate’s educational background, specialized technical expertise, and relevant professional experience. We also consider internal equity, prevailing market data, and specific contractual or funding requirements to ensure competitive and equitable offer alignment.
