Engineer II-Sensor Test & Evaluation

Please read all the requirements listed below.

*This position will initially report to our Socorro, NM location with a planned reporting transition to our new Albuquerque, NM location in the mid to late 2027.

Job Title: Engineer II - Sensor Test and Evaluation

Reports to: Engineering Manager II - Sensor Test and Evaluation Subunit Lead

Employment/FLSA Status: Full-Time/Exempt

Remote Eligible: No, Socorro, New Mexico. U.S. and transition to a new Albuquerque, NM location mid to late 2027

Travel Requirements: Up to 30%

Salary Range: $93,150 - $112,815 (depending on experience, skills, and qualifications relative to the job requirements)

Benefits and Perks:

• Comprehensive Medical Plan Covering Medical, Dental, Vision
• Short Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage
• 403(b) Plan with Company Match
• Life Insurance
• PTO, Paid Holidays

Position Summary

The Engineer II (EII) manages and implements multiple field projects of varying complexity to provide technical support for geophysical instruments and networks. The incumbent will arrange logistics and participate in field operations at sites throughout the United States, polar latitudes, and other international locations. This position builds on instrumentation knowledge gained in previous engineering levels and works with members from their own team and other staff engineers from other projects and departments within the organization. Under supervision of the Engineering Manager, the incumbent will identify and propose new geophysical related technologies and assist with training of other staff and the user community. The EII will contribute to reporting and project documentation and ensure all work conforms to best practices and organizational standards. Engineers are ambassadors who represent these principles to scientists, landowners, sponsors, and other community members. The EII will report to the Engineering Manager or be tasked by a higher-level engineer within designated project and functional areas.

Details of Responsibilities

General Essential Job Duties:

• Implement individual geophysical projects and assists with the execution of multiple projects of limited complexity, which may include logistics, site reconnaissance, site selection, permitting, installation activities, maintenance, network configuration, instrument operation, station communications and/or data flow activities as part of a portfolio of geophysical technologies.
• Identify and solve standard technical issues related to geophysical sensor hardware, firmware, software, metadata creation and management, and data communications and receive guidance on complex problems. Seeks direction when necessary.
• Assist with the design and testing of new systems.
• Under supervision of the Engineering Manager, evaluates instrument design and data/metadata to determine the adequacy of deployed and next generation systems.
• Assists with specifying station configurations and data/metadata collection strategies.
• Ensure appropriate documentation of activities and metadata using established tools, protocols, and databases as maintained by the organization.
• Draft detailed technical reports for review by the Engineering Manager.
• Assist with the development of technical documentation formats and feedback for projects.
• As directed by an Engineering Manager, may have variable budgeting responsibilities, including developing cost estimates that impact individual projects, providing summaries of progress on statements of work, and tracking and submitting project expenditures.
• Participates with other departments within EarthScope on collaborative projects/opportunities.
• Develop and maintain good relationships with community members, suppliers, landowners, and business partners within areas of expertise and project assignments.
• Other duties may be assigned as necessary for the successful operation of EarthScope.

Leadership and Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position does not have supervisory responsibility.
• Foster a professional culture through the use of strong interpersonal skills, verbal and written communications with an emphasis on team building.
• Work with engineering and project teams.
• Act as lead engineer and point of contact if they are the ranking engineer in the field.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with other team members to ensure tasks are completed on time and with best practices.

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in engineering, geosciences, or related field with three (3) years of experience with geophysical sensors or networks

OR

• Master's degree or equivalent professional experience in engineering, geosciences, or related field and one (1) year of field experience with geophysical sensors or networks

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with data quality analysis software.

Assignment-specific Position Summary

Positions in Instrumentation Services will include job specific addenda that specify and clarify Functional, Programmatic, and any Additional responsibilities that are pertinent to the position. This is in addition to the general Position Description requirements associated with the job title.

Assignment-specific Essential Duties:

Functional responsibilities:

• Reports to and is supervised by the Engineering Department, Sensor Test and Evaluation subunit Lead.

Programmatic responsibilities:

• Supports testing and evaluation of seismic and geodetic instrumentation.
• Assist in establish testing protocols and following established SOPs on geophysical systems validation.
• Contribute to team evaluations of emerging technology.
• Collaborates on other sensor test and evaluation group geophysical instrumentation projects

Other:

• Advance approval from your functional manager and the VP, Instrumentation is required for any physical relocation that changes your proximity to your assigned duty station.

Assignment-specific Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability for the position:

• Experience with fielding and/or repairing geophysical instrumentation
• Experience with geophysical instrumentation testing environments (i.e., filed testing, vault testing)
• Advanced knowledge of python programming related to seismic, geodetic, and/or distributed acoustic sensing data processing

Assignment-specific Preferred Skills:

• Experience with seismic data acquisition software (i.e., SeisComP, Antelope, etc.)
• Experience with distributed fiber optic sensing techniques (i.e., DAS, DTS, DSS)

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability for the position:

• Technical knowledge of commonly used concepts, practices, and procedures for geophysical sensors.
• Proficiency in the operation of hand and power tools (i.e., cordless drill, chop saw, grinder, etc.).
• Ability to take initiative to learn assigned technical/engineering skills within established time frames.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and independently to accomplish project goals.
• Ability to ensure personal accountability for the successful completion of projects.
• Ability to communicate effectively in speaking and writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Ability to apply logic and reasoning to solve moderately complex problems and make applicable decisions.
• Ability to understand moderately complex problems and to collaborate and explore alternative solutions.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work schedules for self and others.
• Ability to compute, analyze, and interpret data.
• Ability to make decisions which have modest impact on the job function and limited impact on the organization in general.
• Ability to lead and engage in safety training under challenging field conditions.

Other Requirements:

• Appropriate availability consistent with EarthScope established practices and norms; hours may exceed 40 hours per week, particularly when traveling.
• If the employee is engaged in field operations, they are required to maintain appropriate safety training, including wilderness, avalanche, helicopter, first-aid, etc.
• A valid driver's license is required.
• Must be able to comply with the EarthScope Consortium's Motor Vehicle Policy.
• Frequent travel by commercial or contracted means including fixed and rotor winged aircraft, motor vehicle, boat, etc.
• A valid passport is required for polar and international projects.
• If deploying to polar environments, must be able to meet the Physical Qualification Determination for Arctic and Antarctic deployments (PESJ-POL_2000.09a).
• May be subject to pre-employment and periodic fitness for duty evaluations including medical examinations

Environment

Physical Setting and Requirements:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Continually required to stand.
• Continually required to walk.
• Continually required to utilize hand and finger dexterity.
• Continually required to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel or crawl.
• Continually required to talk or hear.
• Continually work near moving mechanical parts.
• Frequently required to sit.
• Frequently work in high, precarious places.
• Field work conditions may involve high elevation, extreme cold, extreme heat, humidity, noise, hazards, and vibration.
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 75 pounds over uneven terrain and long distances (up to 3 miles).
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Specialized equipment, machines, or vehicles used: Domestic and international travel in remote or extreme environments by off-road vehicle, helicopter, fixed wing, or other specialty vehicles.

Acknowledgment This job description is designed to provide a general overview of the requirements of the job and does not entail a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that will be required. The EarthScope Consortium reserves the right to add to, remove or modify this job description at any time. This includes the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities as needed. The EarthScope Consortium also reserves the right to release or eliminate this position at any time.

To Apply: Applicants may apply by going to the EarthScope Consortium Career Center: https://www.earthscope.org/careers/

Applicants MUST be authorized to work permanently in the United States.