Fracture Control Engineer

Fracture Control Engineer

Engineer IV

R0171702

NASA Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas

HX5 is an award-winning provider of engineering, research and development, and technical services to clients such as NASA and the Department of Defense. Founded in 2004, HX5 is a fast-growing veteran- and woman-owned company with locations nationwide.

HX5 is currently seeking a Fracture Control Engineer.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Review Fracture Control Plans, Fracture Control Summaries, and associated documentation for spaceflight hardware.

• Perform fracture mechanics assessments, including crack growth analysis, fracture toughness interpretation, and criticality classification.

• Review engineering drawings, material specs, and manufacturing plans for fracture control compliance.

• Provide technical direction for fracture testing (fracture toughness, crack propagation, stress corrosion, fatigue testing) for metallic, composite, and non-metallic materials.

• Collaborate with design engineers, stress analysts, materials engineers, quality assurance, NDE personnel, and program safety/mission assurance to ensure fracture-control compliance across the hardware lifecycle.

• Support technical reviews (PDR, CDR, FRB, ERB, hazard reviews) by presenting rationale, analysis results, and classification decisions.

• Evaluate flight hardware for compliance with NASA fracture control requirements, applicable standards and program-specific criteria.

• Support anomaly resolution, provide technical recommendations, and contribute to risk assessments for fracture-related issues.

• Other tasks as required.

Education and Experience:

This position has been posted at multiple levels. Depending on the candidate's experience, requirements and business needs, we reserve the right to consider candidates at any level for which this position has been advertised.

• Typically requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree in Engineering and normally possess 5- 10 years of related experience. License and certification may be required.

• Bachelor's degree or higher (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.) in Engineering in the following areas: Mechanical, Materials Science, Aerospace.

• 5 or more years of professional experience in fracture control, stress/fracture analysis, materials & processes engineering, structural analysis, or related hardware verification.

• Strong experience with fracture mechanics principles, fatigue and damage tolerance assessment.

• Familiarity with composite materials, nonmetals, and their fracture behavior (including delamination, matrix cracking, interlaminar fracture).

• Hands-on experience with fracture testing (toughness, fatigue, crack propagation) and related ASTM or NASA test methods.

• Working knowledge of NDE techniques relevant to fracture-critical hardware.

• Ability to interpret NASA fracture control requirements, program standards, and certification processes.

• Strong technical communication skills and ability to present rationale to multidisciplinary and program leadership teams.

Requisition Preferences:

• PhD or advanced degree highly preferred.

• Previous experience supporting NASA human spaceflight hardware or fracture control processes.

• Experience with analysis tools such as NASGRO, ABAQUS, Nastran/Patran, or comparable fracture/stress analysis software.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position and offers a 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off).

Other Position Requirements:

• Proof of U.S. Citizenship or US Permanent Residency is a requirement for this position.
• Must be able to complete a U.S. government background investigation.
• Management has the prerogative to select at any level for which the position is advertised.

HX5 offers a competitive salary and benefits package to include:

• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• 401(k) plan with Company Match
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Parental Leave
• Life Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Pet Insurance

HX5, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

HX5, LLC is a Drug Free Workplace Employer.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please call (850) 362-6551.

CJ