Operations Engineer

Position Summary:

The Operations Engineer will direct and coordinate the cryogenic propellant test facility activities to meet both internal and external customer testing objectives. Primary tasks of the engineer will include test campaign planning including test article integration, operation, and data acquisition. A key attribute of this position is to interface with customers, both internal and external, including Sales, Product Responsible Engineers, Test Engineers, and Outside Vendors across multiple projects of varied phases, industries, and complexity simultaneously; along with directing, assisting, and reviewing Test Technician activities. The Operations Engineer will also oversee budgeting, scheduling, and technical oversight of the propellant test facility.

Key Results Areas:

1. Monitor and ensure that the Propellant Test Facility operates effectively and meets the organizations goals and objectives

• Operate test facility with a culture focused on safety.
• Perform long term planning to ensure that the testing area grows its capabilities, capacity, and organization structure to meet strategic business objectives.
• Prepare annual department budget, make capital equipment recommendations, authorize expenditure and track costs to control expenses.
• Drive budget performance, profitability, and cost reduction efforts to ensure the department stays on track to meet the financial plan year over year.
• Proactively coordinate team and individual work assignments to achieve daily goals and objectives to ensure schedule adherence and to optimize the overall efficiency.
• Ensure that the individual work outcomes are complete and accurate and meet the standards set by P3 Technologies.
• Develop and standardize processes that will enable employees to perform processes consistently and safely.
• Provide technical oversight and direction as required, to assist in troubleshooting or root cause analysis on difficult problems.
• Monitor safety, quality, deliver and cost (SQDC) to ensure that the Propellant Test Facility is meeting its metrics and deliverables to ensure company strategy is met.
• Identify opportunities and improve processes to drive customer deliverables and to obtain required results.
• Maintain a training and development planning process to maximize safety awareness and grow technical capability of the area.
• Proactively identify and overcome Propellant Test Facility constraints with equipment, processes, and staffing by developing alternative options, adjusting plans accordingly, and realigning.
• Monitor facility maintenance to determine root cause and corrective actions and incorporate the action into the maintenance plans

2. Define information and processes to facilitate assembly and test to internal and customer requirements

• Review standard test requirements by customer and industry to develop critical documents for assembly and test.
• Conduct pre-test reviews.
• Generate, facilitate review, and release instrumentation list and parts instrumentation diagram to ensure proper test set up.
• Develop the data acquisition software and ensure it is configured to properly output the results of the test.
• Research and identify special test or assembly hardware/software needed to meet the project requirements.
• Review customer specification and provide feedback to product test-ability.
• Estimate rough order of magnitude costs to perform requested testing.

3. Develop procedures and processes to verify and validate requirements and ensure timely delivery of high-quality product

• Write, review, and release technical instructions to ensure clear direction for assembly and test per customer requirements and company standards including P&IDs component BOMs, and tooling and fixture requirements.
• Develop detailed test plans that outline procedure, entry requirements, expected results, and schedule.
• Document test results in a manner that can concisely be presented to all stakeholders.
• If the test fails or does not meet performance standards troubleshoot the issues and determine if conditions need changed or process redeveloped.
• Identify daily safety, quality, delivery cost issues and report to management in the daily work status meeting.

4. Collaborate with customers to ensure that information and data transfers effectively to meet their needs and organizational objectives.

• Coordinate with design resources as required to design custom test loop components.
• Collaborate with Purchasing to ensure that parts and equipment needed to meet customer requirements are identified, ordered from an approved supplier and received per the schedule needs.
• Coordinate with vendors as needed /required for testing to ensure lead times can be met.
• Ensure work instructions, drawings, test plans for the Propellant Test Facility are released and accurate in order to properly meet customer requirements.
• Verify and validate that the gages and equipment used in testing are calibrated and in good condition to ensure the quality of the test.
• Lead test readiness review with all stakeholders to ensure program is ready for test per the test plan.
• Plan and conduct technical and safety reviews prior to testing to ensure the quality of the product and safety of employees is maintained.

5. Execute test plans to validate product while adhering to schedule demands

• Review requirements, work instructions and drawings with the technicians to clarify questions and ensure understanding of customer requirements.
• Conduct the test per the test plan or work with designated test personnel to carry out test.
• Review and verify the test loop for correctness and safe operations to ensure that the requirements are met.
• Ensure that the Propellant Test Facility personnel can locate the Quality Management System procedure, have read and understand the relevant procedure and are aware of all procedure changes when they occur.
• Ensure that all Propellant Test Facility procedures are followed to drive quality outcomes and ensure quality controls.
• Provide resources to perform root cause analysis for corrective and preventive actions identified in the department.
• Manage compliance to all safety procedures and ensure proper protective equipment usage to ensure personnel safety.
• Drive safety and accident prevention into the culture.
• Perform injury reviews and analysis.

Requirements

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, an individual must possess the knowledge, training, experience and abilities required.

Education and Training

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent combination of education and experience working in high aptitude testing environment.

Experience:

• Seven years related experience in a complex test environment
• Two years management experience
• Knowledge of common aerospace testing standards and procedures
• Experience with instrumentation and data acquisition systems

Other:

• Must be willing to work overtime as required.
• Travel up to 10% of working time.

Desired Job Qualification:

• Prior test facility experience utilizing cryogenic propellant and/or combustion devices
• Safety training or a demonstrated history of establishing or maintaining a positive safety culture
• Professional Engineer license
• Management or supervisory experience

Skills:

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, project management, enterprise resource planning, database, and specialized engineering application software such as SolidWorks and LabVIEW; and the ability to learn analytical software's.
• Ability and willingness to abide by set policies and/or safety programs established by P3, our clients, and/or regulatory agencies which govern our performance and behavior in the normal course of our work while on P3 or the client's property or job site.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• High attention to detail
• Ability to successfully plan and implement objectives within established timelines and work schedules.
• Ability to analyze problems and develop effective solutions at both strategic and functional levels.
• Demonstrate behavior consistent with company values
• Ability to work independently, with minimal direction as a highly motivated self-starter and within a team-oriented culture

ITAR Requirements: To conform to U.S. Government commercial space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), applicants for employment at P3 must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the U.S. (i.e., current green card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1157-1158. Security clearance is required for this position .

Equal Opportunity Employer:

P3 is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by law.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this role is $90,000- $120,000. This range represent the anticipated minimum and maximum base + bonus for this position based upon a good faith and reasonable estimate. The final compensation for this position will be set based on the applicant's qualifications (education, training and/or experience related to this role), and therefore, may fall outside the range shown, depending on the circumstances.

P3 anticipates the application window closing approximately 30 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require P3 to shorten or extend the application window.