Mission Engineer

About ARES Corporation

ARES Corporation is an employee-owned aerospace and engineering services company supporting critical national programs across NASA, the Department of Defense, and other Federal agencies. For more than 60 years, ARES has provided innovative engineering, mission operations, safety and mission assurance, information technology, and range support services for some of the nation's most complex aerospace missions. ARES is the prime contractor for the Wallops Range Contract supporting NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The contract provides mission-critical support for launch range operations, telemetry, radar, communications, engineering, maintenance, and sustainment activities supporting orbital and suborbital launch vehicles, sounding rockets, balloons, aircraft operations, and human spaceflight missions.

Position Overview

ARES is seeking a Mission Engineer to provide technical leadership and engineering guidance of complex range systems supporting NASA and customer missions worldwide. This position plays a critical role in mission planning, telemetry system configuration, RF performance analysis, mission readiness reviews, deployed site operations, and post-mission analysis. The successful candidate will support sounding rockets, expendable launch vehicles, UAS missions, scientific payloads, and Artemis-related human spaceflight network activities while ensuring mission success through the effective integration of telemetry, RF, instrumentation, and communications systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform mission engineering activities supporting telemetry, RF, instrumentation, and range systems for complex and high-visibility missions.
• Conduct detailed RF link analyses for mission downlinks and uplinks and evaluate predicted versus actual system performance.
• Design, implement, and verify mission-specific configurations, schematics, and test plans for telemetry ground stations and range instrumentation assets.
• Support mission planning and readiness activities including NASA mission reviews, readiness reviews, and launch support activities.
• Develop technical briefings and readiness assessments related to range instrumentation configurations, implementation plans, and mission risks.
• Serve as Site Lead for mobile telemetry and range instrumentation deployments, providing technical leadership for field teams and remote operations.
• Coordinate mission execution activities, resource planning, safety compliance, and real-time operational reporting during deployed missions.
• Generate and present post-mission engineering products including link analyses, tracking performance assessments, anomaly investigations, and mission performance reports.
• Support discrepancy tracking, risk identification, lessons learned activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Aerospace Science, ora relatedtechnical discipline.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience supporting aerospace range operations, mission engineering, telemetry systems, flight test operations, launch operations, or similar technical environments.
• Demonstrated experience with telemetry ground systems, including antennas, RF receiving systems, telemetry processors, data acquisition systems, and associated instrumentation.
• Experience performing RF link analyses and developing mission-specific technical configurations and test plans.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and systems engineering skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with customers, scientists, engineers, and mission operators.
• Ability to travel extensively and support extended deployments to remote domestic and international locations.
• U.S. Citizenshiprequired.

Desired Qualifications

• Previousexperience as a Site Lead, Mission Lead, or technical lead supporting deployed operations.
• Experience supporting sounding rockets, launch ranges, telemetry systems, or NASA mission operations.
• Experience supporting NASA Wallops Flight Facility or other government test and launch ranges.
• Experience generating post-mission analysis products, mission performance reports, and engineering assessments.
• Familiarity with NASA mission review processes including IPIRs, RRRs, LRRs, and post-flight reviews.
• Active Secret Security Clearance.

ARES Benefits:

ARES offers a competitive compensation and benefit package. Full-time employees may participate in:

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• HSA/FSA Accounts
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• 401(k) Plan
• ESOP
• Paid Time Off & Holidays

ARES is an equal opportunity employer and complies with E-Verify. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law. ARES shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a).