MULE Lead Hardware Engineer - NAWCAD Patuxent River

The incumbent serves as lead technical authority on assigned projects and is responsible for the design, development, fabrication, and sustainment of avionic systems organically performed by NAVAIR - Naval Air Systems Command and NAWCAD - Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division personnel with the goals, objectives, and strategies to meet program engineering requirements. The incumbent participates, directs, or decides the requirements definitions of future program upgrades, and reviews the performance and cohesiveness of the multiple IPT engineering efforts under multiple PMA's - Program Offices cognizance.

The incumbent supports in postulating alternative technical strategies, and approaches for the acquisition, integration support and life-cycle sustainment of mission computer products (e.g., HOST modules, FACE models, multi-core processors, storage, etc.), open architectures (MOSA, SOSA, HOST, FACE, OMS), and operating systems (embedded software/RTOS, host/client), into their dedicated configuration or platform. Supports Advanced Architecture Team (AAT) with standards reviews, updates, and recommends industry procedures during implementation/integration. Assists customers with implementation of open standards on current and future platform upgrades and integrations. Reviews or drafts planning documents and defines program tasking efforts which, when executed, will enable the functional test operations portions of programs to comply with their respective requirements.

 

The incumbent works with senior program management in the development of broad technical objectives for new program initiatives, postulates conceptual approaches, and performs long range planning activities leading to the establishment of platform upgrade projects and/or an IPT for the project. Identifies skills required to carry out program initiatives and assesses potential impacts of these initiatives on current program efforts.

 

Researches the applicability of current and evolving technology pertinent to the avionics development programs. Keeps current in computing, displays, open architectures, and operating system technology areas, and other related technologies as they evolve. Performs system, subsystem and equipment interface and integration trade-off studies as required. Required to research, analyze, and track systems/subsystems throughout their acquisition life cycle and monitor critical events such as program schedule, milestones, technical performance, funding, and documentation, and deliverables.

 

Performs duties as MULE and CSIL Labs IPTL as required. These duties include leading the design, fabrication, and sustainment of avionic systems, generating proposals for new avionic products, directly supporting PMAs with the development and sustainment of avionic systems, soliciting information from potential customers to expand IPT funded programs/projects, and approving technical decisions on all upgrades, technology-refresh, sustainment, and safety of current and future projects.

 

Supports program level forums led by the PMAs or designated alternate to address overall program issues, and/or assess program progress toward goals. The topics addressed encompass the full range of disciplines pertinent to platform avionics, including mission requirements/analysis, systems engineering, interface design, logistics, training, reliability and maintainability, human factors, safety, and test and evaluation. When required, addresses problem areas where engineering precedents are lacking. Provide techniccal guidance and support to facilitate developmental products through SETR events. Monitors, and evaluates risk, cost, schedule, safety, and system performance impacts to the fleet. Regularly communicates with the program office and across program IPTs, industry, vendors, and other Department of Defense (DoD) communities.

 

Conducts feasibility assessments, systems engineering trade studies, issues analysis and presents findings to program management. Prepares formal program materials as required. These materials include white papers, presentations, future road mapping concepts, acquisition materials, and portions of technical documents such as specifications, and technical requirements. Factors in Non-Development Item (NDI) and Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) acquisition policies when developing plans. Technical findings are accepted as the best information available and used for planning efforts.

 

Supports conferences, meetings, committees, working groups and ad-hoc task groups for the purpose of exchanging information on technical matters relating to DoD, Department and Division programs, and developing mutually satisfactory solutions to important issues.

 

Supports the Mission Aligned Organization's Management, as required. This may entail activities such as inputs for performance appraisals, work examples for tasking efforts, program status summaries, letters of recommendation, support promotion activities, reviewing proposed standard operating procedures and processes, and identifying program specific training needs from a total program perspective.

 

Leads a team of engineers working Mission Computing, Open Architecture (OA) Hardware design/build/test, and custom avionics test fixture and test bench build efforts. This may entail defining scope of work, identifying a level of effort to complete a task, identifying level of expertise and skillset to complete a task, etc. Uses skills in systems engineering to build high-level architectures, models, and interface documents involving software solutions such as Cameo Systems Modeler (CSM) to track project requirements, verify hardware/software designs, test methods, documentation, etc. Provides subject matter expertise in avionics systems to design, fabricate, and execute testing of avionics data bus and signaling protocols (ARINC-429, MIL-STD-1553, Ethernet, Power, etc.).