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Position Function:

The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL), the premier manned and unmanned aviation research facility in the nation, was established in 1948. RFRL possesses a rich heritage in full-scale aircraft research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E), particularly in advanced flight test. RFRL’s rich history includes dozens of aviation “firsts,” particularly in the application of cutting-edge composite structures in aviation. Today, RFRL’s focus is to perform advanced research, development, and testing of: 1) Manned and Unmanned Aircraft; 2) Automated Flight Control Systems; 3) Aircraft Sub-Structures and Components; 4) Ground and Airborne Sensor Systems, including Detect and Avoid; and 5) Ground and Maritime Robotics. MSU’s unique position as the only university that is both the FAA-designated lead for the national UAS Center of Excellence, and an FAA-designed UAS Test Site, provides unparalleled capability to conduct world-class research and comprehensive flight testing for unmanned aircraft, ground control systems, component systems, and key supporting technologies such as detect and avoid. In addition to our flight RDT&E capabilities, RFRL also offers cutting-edge composite materials design, fabrication, prototyping, and low-rate initial production through the Marvin B. Dow Stitched Composites Development Center. RFRL also regularly helps grown aviation-related companies and innovative technologies through our role as a technology incubator. Throughout our illustrious aviation history, RFRL has been dedicated to outstanding research programs, strategic alliances with industry and government, and close collaboration with academic units of the university. Raspet offers faculty, staff, students, industry, and government agencies a facility with experience and capability for composite fabrication, structural testing, UAS and component RDT&E, in-flight sensor evaluation, and flight test instrumentation and test assistance.

Salary Grade:  15

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges.  For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Engineer I
1. Using accepted methods and techniques, solves well-defined problems and performs specific and limited portions of broader projects, under technical guidance of an experienced engineer.
2. Applies standard practices and techniques in specific situations, adjusts and correlates data, recognizes discrepancies in results, and follows operations through a series of related detailed steps or processes.
3. Defines and improves practices from experiences on small projects.
4. Conducts experiments/tests in the laboratory field that include taking measurements and recording observations, collecting, compiling, and processing data.
5. Contributes data/findings for use in reports, documents, or oral/written presentations.
6. Interacts in a collaborative manner with other team members to accomplish organizational goals. May provide ideas to improve efficiency at group level.
7. Networks primarily within own technical peer group.
8. In the process of learning methods for planning, including assessment of cost, scope, and schedule against plan.
9. No defined role in identifying/securing research funding; however, successful performance of project related tasks contribute to on-going funding efforts.
10. Performs related duties as required.

Supervisory Responsibility
Typically none, but may guide the work of peers, technicians, or other support staff as necessary to achieve specific assignments.

Engineer II
1. Performs work that involves conventional types of plans, investigations, systems, structures, or equipment with relatively few complex features or for which there are precedents.
2. Performs tasks/projects of a larger scope.
3. May lead specific tasks within the project scope.
4. Scopes task and develops approaches for moderately difficult tasks.
5. Takes responsibility for assuring quality, cost effectiveness, and timeliness for small projects.
6. Assists in preparation of reports, papers, presentations, new proposals, etc., and may collaborate on some proposals.
7. Presents papers at technical meetings.
8. Continues to enhance capabilities for project planning, including assessment of cost, scope, and schedule against plan.
9. Implements new systems/approaches for moderately difficult tasks/projects.
10. Establishes networks in internal peer group; starts becoming part of identifiable external peer network.
11. Interacts in a collaborative manner with other team members to accomplish organizational goals.
12. Provides ideas to improve efficiency at group level. Participates in procurement of additional/new funding through contributions to technical proposal preparation and/or presentations.
13. Contributes to positive co-workers/customers/investigators relationships through efficient interaction on current grants/projects.

Supervisory Responsibility
Monitors the work of junior staff to ensure that correct procedures are followed. Provides direction to assure completion of technical tasks and projects.

Engineer III
1. Manages multiple or significant projects which may require the use of sophisticated project planning techniques.
2. Plans, schedules, conducts, or coordinates detailed phases of the work of a major project or in a total project of moderate scope.
3. Makes substantial contributions to determining feasibility of goals/objectives.
4. May evaluate proposed or ongoing projects.
5. Interfaces with client/customer project managers and MSU research/engineering management for existing or proposed projects.
6. Creates opportunities to enhance technical methodology or content through expansion of existing, or development of, new efforts.
7. May extend technology into new application areas.
8. Contributes or leads I major intellectual development activities.
9. Chairs sessions at technical meetings; gives invited papers; participates in external seminars, workshops, professional societies and committees.
10. Provides innovative problem-solving approaches to enhance organizational capabilities.
11. Uses peer network to expand technical capabilities and identify new research opportunities.
12. Understands broad strategic objectives and contributes to them.
13. Nurtures and maintains relationships with major customers/grantors of external research and development grant funding.
14. Identifies grant/project extensions and persuades customers/grantors to fund; impacts customer decisions and strategies.
15. May initiate new project concepts and seek funding; develops technical proposals and makes presentations to potential customers/grant sponsors.

Supervisory Responsibility
May supervise several Engineers or technicians on assigned work; provides major input to staffing of overall project teams; builds teams and staff to optimize efficiency and cost effectiveness. Identifies and evaluates candidates for open positions; mentors/trains staff in development of technical, project, and business development skills.

Senior
One or more of the following:
1. As an individual contributor, conceives, plans and conducts research in problem areas of considerable scope and complexity.
2. Problems must be thoroughly approached through a series of complete and conceptually related studies, are difficult to define, require unconventional or novel approaches, and require sophisticated research techniques.
3. Incumbent demonstrates superior scope and breadth of research through the creation of new concepts, applications, processes, designs or the identification of new areas of research.
4. Available guides and precedents contain critical gaps, are only partially related to the problem, or may be largely lacking due to the novel character of the project.
5. At this level, the individual researcher generally will have contributed inventions, new designs, or techniques that are of mutual significance in the solution of important problems.
6. In a supervisory capacity, plans, develops, coordinates, and directs a number of large and significant projects or a project of major scope. Supervisory responsibilities usually encompasses subordinate supervisors or team leaders (3-5) with at least one in a position comparable to the Research Engineer Level III.
7. As a staff specialist, serves as the technical lead for the unit in the application of advanced theories, concepts, principles, and processes for an assigned area of responsibility (i.e., subject matter, function, type of facility or equipment, or product).
8. Stays abreast of new technical methods and developments affecting the unit for the purpose of recommending changes in emphasis of programs or new programs warranted by such developments.
9. Proposes and leads new initiatives; guides programs of national or international significance.
10. Primary resource to MSU and customers in identifying future problems, research trends, and opportunities.
11. Presents papers, leads symposia and chairs committees.
12. Participates on advisory/policy boards, journals and societies.
13. Serves as peer reviewer of major technical programs; networks nationally and internationally.
14. Contributions enhance Department/MSU staff, business volume, and facilities/equipment.
15. Plays a lead role in the development and implementation of new and/or expanded technical capabilities that will impact future research projects.
16. Reputation leads to ability to attract major funding.
17. Typically would direct and/or participate in major proposal preparation and presentation.

Supervisor Responsibility
Plans, organizes, and supervises the work of a staff of engineers and technicians. Evaluates progress of the staff and results obtained and recommends major changes to achieve overall objectives. Defines staffing needs, selection/assessment criteria, and hiring process for research engineering staff. As an individual researcher or staff specialist, may be assisted on individual projects by staff engineer.

Minimum Qualifications:

Research Engineer I
B. S. Engineering
Less than one year in a related area

Research Engineer II
B. S. Engineering
Two years professional experience in a related area; requires two years at previous level or equivalent

Research Engineer III
B. S. Engineering
Four years professional experience in a related area – requires two years at previous level or equivalent

Senior Research Engineer
B. S. Engineering
Six or more years professional experience in a related area – requires two years at previous level or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications:

We welcome candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas. No single candidate is expected to possess all of these qualifications.

Electrical engineering design, hardware development, and system integration
Flight simulator development
Aerospace structural engineering, including but not limited to, vibration analysis, structural loading, and finite element analysis (FEA) - computational and/or experimental experience
Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) design, development, and/or flight operations
Computer-aided design (CAD), rapid prototyping, and fabrication
Flight test planning, execution, instrumentation, and data analysis
Aerospace controls and autopilot tuning and configuration
Safety critical embedded software development
Computational Fluid Dynamics experience

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Engineer I
1. Knows and effectively uses the fundamental concepts, practices, and procedures of a particular field of specialization.
2. Continues development of technical expertise and knowledge through experience and application.

Engineer II
1. Knows and effectively uses the fundamental concepts, practices and procedures of a particular field of specialization.
2. Continues development of technical expertise and knowledge through experience and application.

Engineer III
1. Has established technical expertise.
2. Serves as a resource to research unit/department/college.
3. Possesses and applies a comprehensive knowledge of a particular field of specialization to the completion of complex assignments.
4. Advances state-of-the-art research in field of specialization.

Senior
1. Recognized as a national or international authority.
2. Applies extensive and advanced principles, theories, and concepts.
3. Contributes to the development of solutions to complex problems that require innovation and ingenuity.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Occasional and/or light lifting required. Limited exposure to elements such as heat, cold, noise, dust, dirt, chemicals, etc., but none to the point of being disagreeable. May involve minor safety hazards where likely result would be cuts, bruises, etc.

Routine deadlines, usually sufficient lead time; variance in work volume predictable; priorities can be anticipated; some interruptions are present; involves occasional exposure to demands and pressure from persons other than immediate supervisor.

Job frequently requires standing, walking, climbing or balancing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling and lifting up to 50 pounds.

Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically, ability to distinguish colors.

Instructions for Applying:

Link to apply:  http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/

MSU Careers website

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.