Title:
Space Systems Engineer – Chemical & Process Systems (ECLSS, Food Systems & ISRU)
At KBR, we deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 85 countries and operations in over 28 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results.
Trinzic is the future independent company to be created through the planned spin-off of KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business, expected in January 2027. Our people work at the frontier of what is possible, delivering solutions in challenging environments and advancing some of the world's highest-priority national security and space missions.
Backed by decades of mission success, deep expertise, and trusted partnerships, Trinzic will launch as a global organization with more than 18,000 employees supporting customers around the world. Join us at a defining moment and help shape the future of a company built to tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful impact.
Candidates who join KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business before the spin-off will transition to Trinzic when the separation is complete and will not need to reapply for employment.
DESCRIPTION:
Provide systems engineering, integration, and technical oversight support for NASA exploration, ISS, Commercial LEO Destination (CLD), and technology development programs. Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to advance lunar ISRU, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), space food systems, chemical and process systems, and other critical human exploration capabilities. Apply systems engineering principles and chemical/process engineering expertise to the development, integration, testing, and maturation of space-based process technologies and systems.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support systems engineering, integration, architecture studies, and technical assessments for ECLSS, space food, ISRU, and related chemical/process systems.
- Develop, manage, decompose, and trace requirements from project objectives through subsystem implementation and technical documentation, including process, fluid, thermal, chemical, and system interface requirements.
- Develop and assess CONOPS, requirements, systems engineering plans, test plans, statements of work, and other customer deliverables for chemical/process-intensive space systems.
- Lead specification development, configuration management, interface management, verification, validation, and baseline control activities.
- Evaluate the impacts of new requirements, capabilities, interfaces, and design changes and integrate approved changes into program baselines.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate technical, schedule, and integration risks, including risks associated with process performance, material and energy flows, subsystem interfaces, and system operability.
- Support proposal evaluations, design reviews, and technical assessments of contractor-developed solutions.
- Develop and manage Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and coordinate with customers, contractors, and external stakeholders, with emphasis on mechanical, fluid, thermal, electrical, and process interfaces.
- Support system integration, testing, verification, and validation activities from component and subsystem testing through integrated system demonstrations.
- Advise customers on systems architecture, verification and validation, chemical/process system integration, and systems engineering best practices.
- Present technical positions, findings, and recommendations to engineering teams, program management, and senior government leadership.
- Develop technical reports, engineering analyses, process flow diagrams, piping and instrumentation diagrams, mass and energy balances, trade studies, and associated technical documentation to support ECLSS, food systems, ISRU, and other chemical/process system design, integration, testing, and customer deliverables.
- Analyze and interpret laboratory, test, and demonstration data to evaluate system performance, identify design improvements, validate engineering assumptions, and inform process development and maturation activities.
- Translate experimental findings, operational lessons learned, and performance data into actionable engineering recommendations, design updates, requirements refinements, and process optimization strategies.
- Perform system-level trade studies and engineering assessments addressing process architecture, resource utilization, consumables, mass and energy flows, system interfaces, operability, and technology maturation.
- Support integration of chemical and process technologies into crewed and uncrewed space-system architectures, considering interactions among process equipment, utilities, controls, instrumentation, storage, and supporting subsystems.
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with at least 3-5 years of relevant experience.
- Excellent interpersonal, leadership, team building and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to be independent and effective in a government/contractor team environment.
- Understanding of the systems development lifecycle (requirements, design, V&V, operations) and its application to multidisciplinary engineering systems.
- Experience supporting technology development, technology maturation, or demonstration programs through concept development, design, testing, and operational implementation.
- Experience applying chemical/process engineering principles, such as process flows, mass and energy balances, fluid systems, thermal processes, separation processes, reaction systems, or electrochemical systems, to system design or analysis.
- Ability to present technical findings, recommendations, and analyses to engineering teams, program management, customers, and senior leadership.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated sustained superior performance.
- Available to travel domestically.
Preferred:
- Experience with ECLSS, space food or food-processing systems, lunar or planetary ISRU, advanced chemical processing systems, fluid and gas handling systems, electrochemical systems, thermal processing technologies, or other space technology development programs.
- Experience developing or reviewing process flow diagrams (PFDs), piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), mass and energy balances, process models, and instrumentation/control architectures.
- Experience with NASA human spaceflight, ISS, Commercial LEO Destination, lunar exploration, or technology demonstration programs.
- Experience integrating laboratory- or subsystem-scale process technologies into larger system architectures and supporting their progression through verification, validation, and technology maturation.
KBR Benefits:
KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.
Click here to learn more: KBR Benefits | KBR
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