POSITION TYPE: Full-Time 12-Month
DEPARTMENT: 194100 - Advanced Composites Institute
LOCATION: Main Campus - Starkville, MS
CATEGORIES: Professional

Salary Grade/Minimum Salary:

17/ Minimum: 69,700

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Demonstrate capability to provide technical solutions to complex problems that require ingenuity and creativity. Represent the organization as the prime technical contact on contracts and projects. Interact with senior external personnel on significant technical matters.
2. Participate in discussions with private industry, government agencies, and MSU faculty to explore and shape work statement for the Center.
3. Develop and manage work statements to satisfy research and development goals, ongoing business objectives, and overall component design requirements.
4. Create detail engineering drawings, fabrication support sketches, shop instructions, and solid part computer models to define part geometries and subsequently drive numerically controlled manufacturing equipment.
5. Develop and lead trade studies to evaluate alternative design-build concepts for stitched composite structures for various applications. Activity may include concept development, technical writing, bid preparation, and preparing/delivering oral presentations to NASA/AFRL customers.
6. Provide guidance on structural design and analysis methodologies to support creation of novel stitched composite concepts.
7. Define and conduct experiments, i.e. building block structural test programs, to quantify fundamental stitched composite failure modes and structural responses.
8. Support test execution and analyze/report test results to validate and verify that systems and components meet vehicle level requirements and specifications.
9. Develop composite lay-ups and flat patterns for fabrication and assembly of 3 dimensional dry carbon fiber preforms for highly integrated composite structures.
10. Create detailed engineering budgets, schedules, and risk mitigation strategies for building prototypes and structural test articles.
11. Write technical reports that capture effort performed including objectives, approach, data generated, analysis methods, conclusions, and recommendations.
12. Provide hands-on support in shop environment for fabrication of stitched dry carbon fiber preforms and resin infusion processing.
13. Provide technical support and training to younger engineers and students.
14. Manage part fabrication at suppliers by providing on-site engineering support, reviewing/assessing progress, and resolving technical problems to maintain project budgets and schedule.
15. Enforce, support, and follow documented policies, procedures and plans to ensure product quality and engineering documentation requirements are satisfied.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Structures or Civil Engineering, or Composite Materials Science.

Experience (yrs.) 8 years’ experience in design/analysis of structural components with emphasis in composite materials. 

Preferred Qualifications;

Master’s Degree (or higher) in Engineering Discipline

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong background in industrial design, analysis, and requirements development.
• Background in composite materials design, analysis, and testing.
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office and at least one CAD software package, i.e. Unigraphics NX, CATIA, Solid Works, etc.
• Ability to create and interpret detailed engineering drawings and specifications.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to work in a team environment with fellow engineers, technicians, professors, students, and customers.
• Recognize and respond to dangerous situations during specimen testing in laboratory.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort:

• Physical ability to support shop and test lab personnel for short periods of time - move freely across elevated work platforms to coordinate design changes with technicians.
• The position may require employee to work with hazardous materials. Employee is required to wear personal protective equipment.
• Physical requirements include frequent sitting, talking, hearing, walking, and standing. Occasionally requires reaching, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling handling objects with hands, and lifting up to 55 pounds.
• Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically.
• Externally exposed to deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position.

Instructions for Applying:

Apply online and attach a resume and cover letter.

Restricted Clause:

Position contingent upon funding availability.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

MSU is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, disability status, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We always welcome nominations and applications from women, members of any minority group, and others who share our passion for building a diverse community that reflects the diversity in our student population.