Payload I&T Test Director

Job Description

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team. Job Responsibilities

As a Payload I&T Test Director, you will be responsible for leading the overall planning, development, and execution of spacecraft payload tests. You will be responsible for preparing and holding Test Readiness Reviews prior to major test events and closeout reviews at the finalization of test events. You will lead a small teams in preparation, execution, and closeout of test activities as the person in charge of payload functional testing. You will assist in daily to weekly planning of test tasks and coordinate with other groups to ensure all personnel needed for a test are available and ready.

Additionally, you will be responsible for the proper execution of testing including operating and monitoring the payload requiring substantial attention to detail to ensure testing is completed thoroughly, accurately and safely. You will review overall payload health during testing and detect potential issues with the system beyond what is pre-coded into test scripts. You will ensure coverage across multiple tests appropriately covers system level verification for items such as redundancy and inter-unit configurations. You will be responsible for reviewing as-run data and ensuring data review is completed by other responsible engineering authorities. The role also will require utilizing satellite control software to build user intuitive telemetry displays & plots, and review satellite telemetry in real time or archived. You will lead the analysis of satellite data for failure investigations and generate Failure Review Board (FRB) packages.

During vehicle level integration, it is required to travel in support test activities such as TVAC, Dynamics, and other test events and support other shifts on a temporary basis during times of 24/7 testing.

Requirements

• 10 + years of experience with hands-on test of payloads, spacecraft buses, or other complex systems
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering or related field or equivalent experience
• Good communication skills and the ability to independently lead small teams
• Ability to develop and implement tests for new designs
• Have experience handling spaceflight hardware
• Experience investigating failures and determining root cause
• Ability to review technical design documentations (specifications, schematics, software code, and/or FPGA code)
• Working knowledge of satellite test or ground command and telemetry systems such as InControl, OS/Comet, Epoch, ITOS, etc.
• Take specified requirements and define an appropriate scope of testing consistent with customer goals and project constraints.
• Understand requirements and design documentation as a basis for developing test cases.
• Define a logical test sequence for the hardware to be tested. This includes directing the test sequence to make effective and efficient use of the available test time.
• Develop test process improvements as an output of Lessons Learned activities.
• Lead all aspects of test operations and act as project management delegate for off-site or off-shift test activities.
• Understand risk assessment and risk mitigation measures in order to be able to make test decisions that are real-time in nature.
• Familiarity with lab equipment such as digital multi-meters, oscilloscopes, power supplies
• Scripting language experience such as Python, Perl, JAS, C++, or C Sharp

Preferences

• Familiarity testing RF units and using RF lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, power meters, etc.

#LI-BBS To learn more about this site and other office locations, please click here ! If the Federal Executive Order for Government Contractors becomes effective, this role may require vaccination. In such instance, absent an approved accommodation based on a religious or medical reason, employees in this role will be required to be fully vaccinated no later than applicable deadlines, which are unknown at this point. Viasat will strive to give individuals as much notice as practicable if a vaccine mandate becomes applicable to this role.