At a glance
- Experience
- 2+ years experience
- Workplace
- Onsite
- Location
- Starbase, TX
About the role
- The controls technician supports building and maintaining data and control systems at SpaceX.
- These systems include different data collection and control hardware, wiring, interface harnesses, and many types of sensors.
- The goal of the data and control systems team is to meet test needs for safe, low-cost, and reliable access to space.
Responsibilities
- Perform complex technical assignments involving instrumentation and data acquisition/processing systems
- Maintain, calibrate, configure, monitor, test, troubleshoot, install, and repair instrumentation, process controls, data acquisition systems, and electrical systems
- Investigate, diagnose, correct, and document instrumentation or system malfunctions
- Analyze results of calibrations and processed data, and assist in the interpretation of test data
- Adjust, repair, or replace faulty components of test setups and equipment
- Lay out, build, test, troubleshoot, repair, and modify developmental and production electrical and electronic units, assemblies, components, parts, equipment, and systems
- Configure the data acquisition hardware
- Perform wire terminations to a variety of instruments and verify sensor health: pressure transducers, thermocouples, valves, limits, and flow meters
- Install connectors, connector pins, terminals, and lugs
- Perform continuity checks, locate and correct wiring errors using measuring instruments such as ohmmeters and sequential continuity checkers
Requirements
- Associate degree in instrumentation, control technology, electrical systems, or other electrical field (3+ years of professional experience working with controls or electrical systems will be considered in lieu of a degree)
- 2+ years of experience working with instrumentation such as pressure transducers, thermocouples, valves, flow meters, multimeters, or oscilloscopes
Preferred qualifications
- Experience working with resistance temperature devices (RTDs), silicon diode temperature devices, strain gauges, load cells, displacement transducers, pressure transducers, thermocouple, and flow meters (turbine, coriolis, and ultrasonic)
- Basic knowledge of Wheatstone bridge theory, ability to apply Ohm's law, and an understanding of direct current (DC) electronics
- Operational knowledge of an oscilloscope and multi-meter, soldering wires and connectors, operation of various crimping tools, wire stripping, continuity testing, pinning out a military type connector, routing and tie wrapping cables, drilling and tapping holes, and building junction boxes
- System-level troubleshooting skills and the ability to logically solve instrumentation system problems and determine corrective action
- Experience with Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) and motor starters, and knowledge in troubleshooting
- Knowledge in signal conditioning concepts for various types of sensors
- Background should include experience with DC power supplies, DC-DC converters, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) installations, heat shrink tubing, cable harnessing, lacing, and proper strain relief concepts
- Working knowledge of transducers, operational amplifiers, and the knowledge of measurement techniques for temperature, pressure, flow, displacement, vibration, and the application of strain gauges
Skills
- Ohmmeters
- Oscilloscopes
- Multimeters
- Variable Frequency Drives
- DC Power Supplies
- Windows Operating Systems
