{"id":1540947,"url":"https://alion.io/job/ama-live-high-enthalpy-diagnostics-engineer","title":"High-Enthalpy Diagnostics Engineer","company":{"id":2018556,"name":"ama-live","domain":"ama-inc.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/ama-inc","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":3,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-10-04T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["Mountain View, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":135000,"max":160000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":160000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"closed","first_seen_at":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-29","last_verified_at":"2026-10-03T07:17:29Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":"2026-10-03T07:17:29Z","days_open":4,"trust":{"level":"not_scored","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":4},"description":"Job Description:\nAnalytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. is seeking a High-Enthalpy Diagnostics Engineer to support the Thermal Protection Materials branch (Code TSM) within the Entry Systems and Technology Division at NASA Ames Research Center. The selected candidate will support ARCTRON (a multi-gas, multi-heat source, plasma chamber for high-temperature catalycity measurements, model validation and thermal protection system (TPS) material down-selection), and related experimental capabilities through development and application of advanced diagnostics, facility characterization, material characterization, and quantitative data analysis for TPS research. This is a full-time, onsite role at Moffett Field, CA. The salary range is $135k-$160k, depending on experience.\nResponsibilities\nPlan and execute experimental campaigns in ARCTRON and other high-enthalpy, plasma, arc-jet, or related test environments.\nDevelop, integrate, calibrate, and operate optical and in-situ plasma diagnostics, including optical emission spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence, imaging, and related techniques.\nCharacterize ARCTRON operating conditions and diagnostic performance across priority test regimes.\nDevelop measurement models and uncertainty-quantification methods for experimental diagnostics, including uncertainty propagation, thermal modeling, state estimation, and data-assimilation approaches.\nConduct quantitative analysis of facility, diagnostic, and material-response measurements; compare experimental results with thermal, fluid, plasma, and other numerical models.\nSupport TPS material characterization using division equipment, including CT scanning, tomography analysis, image processing, and ARCTRON testing.\nPrototype spatially resolved oxygen and argon temperature measurements using absorption spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence.\nDocument test procedures, facility conditions, diagnostic configurations, calibrations, assumptions, uncertainties, and test results.\nCoordinate experimental activities with facility personnel, technicians, researchers, computational modelers, and collaborators.\nMinimum Qualifications\nMaster’s degree or higher in Aerospace, Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering field.\nBackground in experimental aerothermodynamics, plasma physics, high-enthalpy testing, combustion, spectroscopy, optical diagnostics, or a related experimental research field.\nExperience planning, conducting, analyzing, and documenting experimental test campaigns.\nExperience with quantitative data analysis, scientific programming, or scripting for engineering analysis and data processing, such as Python, MATLAB, or comparable tools.\nExperience developing, applying, or interpreting diagnostics in high-temperature, plasma, flow, or other demanding experimental environments.\nAbility to document technical work and communicate experimental results clearly. Track record of publication of research findings in reputed international conferences and journals.\nAbility to collaborate across experimental, computational, diagnostic, and multidisciplinary research teams.\nAbility to work full-time on-site at NASA Ames Research Center and travel occasionally, as required.\nThis position is open to US Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents and Foreign Nationals except those from countries onNASA’s designated country list.\nPreferred Qualifications\nExperience with arc-jet, radio-frequency plasma, laser-heating, hypersonic, or other aerospace thermal-test facilities; experience with ARCTRON or similar plasma test platforms is highly desirable.\nExperience with laser absorption spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, optical emission spectroscopy, spectroradiometry, high-speed imaging, or related diagnostic techniques.\nExperience measuring or inferring gas or plasma temperature, species concentration, enthalpy, heat flux, pressure, or radiative heating.\nExperience with uncertainty quantification, state estimation, Kalman filtering, Bayesian inference, data assimilation, inverse methods, or parameter estimation for experimental measurements.\nExperience analyzing experimental datasets using image processing, signal processing, tomography, visualization, and comparison with numerical predictions.\nAnalytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt, MD; Huntsville, AL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Mountain View, CA; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. With over 60 years of experience, AMA specializes in aerospace engineering, science, analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. AMA combines the best of engineering, science, and mathematics capabilities with the latest in information technologies, visualization, and multimedia to build creative solutions. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including but not limited to paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability plans, and a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options.\nAMA is committed to the professional growth of every employee, understanding that the successes of our employees drive our success. We provide a work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive. To learn more about our company, please visit our website at www.ama-inc.com/careers and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.\nAMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under federal, state, or local laws.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6012,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Information Technology","Research Institutes"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-30T21:06:11Z"},{"event":"close","at":"2026-10-03T07:17:29Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":null,"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":160000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/ama-live-high-enthalpy-diagnostics-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/ama-live-high-enthalpy-diagnostics-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-05T00:54:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1160,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":3840,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-06T00:00:00Z"}}}