Data Acquisition Hardware Engineer- COSMOS 2012-025

This position is for an early to mid-level Platform Hardware and Data Acquisition engineer with 5-10 years of experience on the Contract for Organizing Spaceflight Mission Operations and Systems (COSMOS), which is NASA’s next-generation mission operations contract located on-site at Johnson Space Center. COSMOS ensures the continuity of critical human spaceflight support by providing mission control services, advanced training systems, and full-scale spacecraft mockups for astronaut preparation and engineering analysis, * Oversee the installation, hardware upgrades, and lifecycle management for diverse hardware platforms and compute environments.

• Perform root-cause analysis, hardware failure isolation, parts replacement, and vendor RMA coordination for mission platform hardware.
• Collaborate closely with virtualization, storage, and network engineering teams to integrate platform hardware into secure, high-availability networks.
• Design, develop, integrate, and sustain low-voltage control systems, and data acquisition infrastructure.
• Lead the design, schematic capture, and component selection for platform hardware, custom electronic assemblies, and modular DAQ systems.
• Architect, program, and integrate low-voltage control systems, PLCs (ladder logic, function blocks, HMI/SCADA), and single-board computers (SBCs) handling GPIO, SPI, I²C, and UART interfaces for test stands, fixtures, and platform consoles.
• Develop and maintain detailed technical documentation, including cabinet/console layouts, facility floor plans, wiring diagrams, cable running lists, and engineering instructions.
• Manage Bills of Materials (BOM), component lifecycles, and procurement requests; coordinate with fabrication, assembly, and mechanical engineering vendors.
• Translate operational concepts and customer requirements into engineering designs; provide technical status, schedule inputs, cost/labor estimates, and design presentations to management and NASA stakeholders.
• Troubleshoot complex system anomalies, perform root-cause analysis, and provide sustaining engineering support for mission-critical systems during nominal and occasional off-nominal operational windows.

• Demonstrate strong technical problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills with minimal supervision.
• Excel at bridging hardware, firmware, mechanical, and software domains in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal technical teams, leadership, and external customer stakeholders.
• Maintain a proactive approach to continuous learning, process improvement, and rigorous configuration management.
• Exhibit flexibility to support implementation and mission-critical operational activities during occasional off-nominal hours (evenings, weekends, holidays)., Must have the following education and experience: Bachelor/Master of Science degree and minimum of 3 years of general experience. The candidate must be able to obtain a NASA Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Badge for NASA credentials.

Core Technical Skills

• Direct experience in hardware platform development, circuit design, and system integration.
• Experience in schematic capture and PCB layouts,
• Solid foundation in analog/digital interfaces, power delivery, signal integrity, circuit protection, and high-speed interfaces (PCIe, DDR, Ethernet).
• Hands-on experience designing DAQ systems (analog/digital I/O, signal conditioning) and working with industrial communication protocols (Modbus TCP/RTU, CAN, OPC UA, EtherNet/IP).
• Knowledge of embedded systems, firmware interaction, and low-level hardware/software integration.

Additional Skills

• Experience deploying and managing HPE Synergy infrastructure.
• Strong background in enterprise compute architecture, PCIe topology, fibre channel SAN connectivity, and ethernet networking.
• Experience with electrical panel design, cabinet/rack integration, and custom cable harness fabrication and testing.
• Working knowledge of IP-based voice/video architectures, audio distribution equipment, or GPS timing systems.
• Experience coordinating small-batch fabrication, mechanical enclosure constraints (thermal, ingress, mounting), and Design for Manufacturing/Assembly (DFM/DFA).

Desired Requirements

• Prior experience supporting NASA/JSC facilities, Mission Control Center platform systems, flight control rooms, flight simulation/training facilities, avionics, compute infrastructure, or ruggedized control environments.
• Direct familiarity with formal engineering change processes, readiness test protocols, and configuration management practices.

ASCEND Aerospace & Technology, LLC (ASCEND) is an All-Small Mentor-Protégé Program (ASMPP) Joint Venture (JV) between Aerodyne Industries, LLC and Amentum Technology Inc., that leverages our 12+ year collaboration as award-winning NASA contractors. Through our ASCEND partner companies, we have 62+ years of experience working for NASA and currently manage 5,500 employees across nine NASA Centers. With this foundation of expertise, we are dedicated to helping every mission succeed-today and into the future.