Senior Research Associate: Aerospace Engineering Autonomy

OUR STATEMENT
The San Jose State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) is committed to building a work environment where everyone can show up as their own self and have an opportunity to contribute, develop, and advance in their career. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are core values of the organization. We strive to attract, retain, and develop employees who reflect the community and society where we work and live. The Research Foundation aims to develop a culture where everyone feels welcome, shares their views, and where differences in backgrounds and perspectives are seen as adding value.

GENERAL NATURE OF POSITION
The Psychology Department at San Jose State University is involved in collaborative research efforts with civil service scientists from the U.S. Army's Technology Development Directorate (TDD) Research Group at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. This is a journeyman-level engineering position with the TDD focused on Autonomy as it relates to the U.S. Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) and Contested Logistics (CL) modernization priorities. The work is centered on research and development efforts of rotorcraft flight control technologies and operations for both manned and unmanned systems and optionally piloted air-vehicles.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Develop advanced autonomy algorithms applicable to fully autonomous flight and optionally piloted operations.
2. Serve as the principal investigator in the planning, execution, data reduction, and reporting of flight test experiments that exercise, demonstrate, and increase the technology readiness level of autonomy algorithms.
3. Develop and demonstrate active and passive perception techniques for terrain-aware helicopter motion planning.
4. Design and evaluate methods for fusing data from a range of terrain sensors that account for atmospheric effects and sensor degradation.
5. Research machine learning techniques suitable for real-time segmentation and classification of landing surfaces based on active and passive sensing.
6. Develop methods of incorporating real-time changes in dynamic envelope and atmospheric effects into autonomous motion planning for helicopter terrain flight.
7. Become familiar with the Army's Mission Adaptive Autonomy (MAA) software.
8. Become familiar with the Army's flight controls and system identification tools, including CIFER, CONDUIT, STITCH, and RIPTIDE.
9. Attend weekly group meetings and present research updates.
10.Effectively communicate research results through technical presentations and written reports.

11. Other duties as assigned.

INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS
Reports to the Project Director. Interacts with Foundation research staff and civil service staff on a daily basis via telephone, email, Teams, and/or in-person. Working onsite at Ames is required 3 days per week. Telework from an approved location is permitted.

QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience

• MS in Aerospace Engineering or related field required.

• Education in the following areas: Machine learning; numerical analysis and statistical methods, flight dynamics and control; aircraft simulation; classical and optimal control; linear control theory; MATLAB, Simulink, Python.

• Experience in an applied research setting is highly desired.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to work on collaborative teams or independently.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research.

• General knowledge of flight control and fixed/rotary wing aircraft and unmanned aerial system (UAS) controls.

• General knowledge in machine learning-based optimization methods.

• Experience in autonomous UAS waypoint navigation, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), and image recognition.

• Demonstrated strong competency in MATLAB, Simulink, Python, and C/C++.

• Experience conducting design reviews, peer reviews and technical meetings.

Physical Requirements

• Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally.

• Located at the NASA Ames Research Center. Employee must meet security qualifications for entrance to Ames Research Center.

• Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident.

• Frequent and ongoing use of a computer terminal to conduct a variety of the more advanced clerical functions and communications.

• Periodic, regular, and/or occasional contact with employees of the Research Foundation at all levels, San Jose State University faculty and staff, and/or vendors, with the ability to discuss and appropriately respond to inquiries and requests.

• Work with time constraints and under pressure.

• Periodic regular lifting, walking, and carrying of files, documents and other related materials.

• Strength, dexterity, and coordination and/or ability to use a computer keyboard and read a video display terminal on a regular basis.

• Ability to listen to verbal requests from customers, clients, and vendors, and to respond appropriately.

Complexity of Duties

• Exercise independent judgment in the management and completion of a diverse set of tasks.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the SJSURF. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current SJSURF employees who apply for the position.

NOTE: This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant.

Compensation Range:

BENEFITS
The SJSURF provides an excellent benefits package to benefited employees. The comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Four company health insurance plans to choose from (employee contributions differ according to plan and level of coverage).

• Employer-paid dental and vision for both employee and eligible dependents.

• Life, AD&D, LTD with supplemental coverage opportunities.

• 14 paid federal & state holidays.

• Retirement Plan: 403 (b) employee contribution plan component and a 403 (b) employer contribution component, which vests immediately.

• Vacation-hour accruals and separate sick-hour accumulations.

• Employee discounts.

• Paid training and professional-development conferences.

Please visit the Benefits & Compensation page on the SJSURF website for more detailed information.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
The SJSURF is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with physical or mental disabilities in the employment, recruitment, examination, interviewing, and hiring processes. If you are a job seeker with a physical or mental disability, and you require a reasonable accommodation to search, apply, or interview for a job opening or otherwise need a reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process, please contact us at foundation-jobs@sjsu.edu. In the email message, please indicate your full name, phone number and the type of assistance required. You must not reveal the underlying medical reason for your needed reasonable accommodation or otherwise disclose confidential medical information.

ABOUT THE SJSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION
SJSURF employment is separate and distinct from San Jose State University (SJSU) or state of California employment. SJSURF employees are not employees of SJSU or of the state of California. SJSURF is a non-profit auxiliary of SJSU. SJSURF is totally self-supported. The majority of the organization's funding comes from the federal government, and other public and private entities. With annual revenues totaling over $65 million, programs managed through SJSURF cover a rich diversity of applied research, public services, and educational-related activities.

San Jose State University Research Foundation is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, genetic information, sexual orientation, military and veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.

It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. All employment practices such as recruitment, selection, promotions, and other terms and conditions of employment are administered in a manner designed to ensure that employees and applicants for employment or services are not subjected to discrimination. We are committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity. This policy is in accordance with federal, state and local laws and reaffirms the Research Foundation's continuing commitment to both the spirit and intent of equal employment opportunity laws and policies.

San Jose State University Research Foundation is an EOE M/F/Vet/Disability. Learn more about our organizations EEO and AAP policy by visiting our website HERE. Data metrics on the AAP is available for review upon request. Please also visit OFCCP for additional resources: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/posters.

If you have any questions or need assistance or an accommodation in completing this application, please contact Research Foundation HR at (408) 924-5582.

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