Senior Advanced TIDES Engineer

M9 Solutions is seeking a Senior Digital Hardware Designer to work hybrid remote/onsite in support of a government contract for a client located in Scottsdale, AZ. An active Secret clearance is required.

Responsibilities

• Support the development, deployment, and proposal shaping of integrated spacecraft test environments across hardware, firmware, and software infrastructure.
• Support architecture, design, integration, and verification of development, unit verification, production, module, power converter, NAS, and calibration test environments.
• Translate payload and program requirements into test capabilities, measurement approaches, interface needs, verification methods, and evidence-generation plans.
• Support design package development, including top-level assemblies, interface control documents, cable packages, rack architecture, RF drawer concepts, FPGA/IO drawer concepts, calibration planning, BOM coordination, and test readiness artifacts.
• Coordinate FPGA and digital I/O needs across test racks, payload interfaces, data capture paths, timing/reference distribution, and platform evolution plans.
• Support client internal software tool and related test infrastructure deployment, including station configuration, network topology, equipment monitoring, automated test execution, data handling, and reusable software core integration.
• Identify gaps between payload requirements, available test capability, ATP coverage, calibration approach, and formal verification evidence.
• Drive reuse across programs by identifying common capabilities that should be promoted into core infrastructure.
• Support proposal development, BOE inputs, labor estimates, technical approaches, assumptions, risks, opportunities, and execution plans.
• Lead or support technical solutioning discussions with program teams, capture teams, engineering leadership, and subject-matter experts.
• Drive trade studies across hardware, FPGA, software infrastructure, automation, calibration, verification, schedule, cost, and risk.
• Translate ambiguous program needs into candidate architectures, phased implementation plans, staffing needs, risks, and decision points.
• Support technical reviews, proposal color-team responses, customer-facing discussion preparation, and internal leadership briefings.
• Mentor engineers across disciplines and help establish consistent engineering practices.
• Communicate technical issues, risks, impacts, and corrective actions to program teams, leadership, and internal employees.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Active Secret security clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, or a related Science, Engineering or Mathematics field, plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree, plus a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with spacecraft payload development, integration, verification, production test, or sustainment.
• Strong understanding of system test environments, automated test systems, RF test equipment, FPGA-based interfaces, rack-level integration, test data infrastructure, and networked lab environments.
• Ability to work backward from payload requirements to define required stimulus, measurement, cabling, calibration, software, network configuration, and ATP evidence.
• Experience with requirements analysis, requirements traceability, interface definition, system integration, verification planning, and test readiness reviews.
• Experience supporting proposals, BOEs, technical volumes, basis-of-estimate narratives, labor estimates, risks, assumptions, and solution-space trades.
• Ability to lead technical discussions where the problem is not fully defined and drive the team toward practical, executable options.
• Experience configuring and sustaining internal test networks and lab infrastructure, including static IP planning, isolated instrument LANs, 10G data paths, server/workstation setup, software deployment, account coordination, backup/data handling, and troubleshooting of networked test equipment.
• Familiarity with LabVIEW, TestStand, Python, Git, CI/CD concepts, Kubernetes or containerized deployment (docker), networked test systems, and instrument control.
• Familiarity with FPGA development, high-speed digital interfaces, timing/reference distribution, JESD204B, Ethernet/10G data paths, or hardware-in-the-loop test.
• Strong technical judgment across electrical hardware, software infrastructure, systems engineering, lab infrastructure, and software deployment boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical coordination across multiple teams, resolve ambiguity, remove blockers, and drive closure on complex integration issues.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with the initiative to fix issues as they arise, prevent recurring problems, and identify technical risks before they impact program execution.
• Ability to leverage AI-enabled tools appropriately for engineering productivity, research, documentation, automation, analysis, and decision support while applying independent technical judgment and verification.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief technical risks, trade studies, readiness gaps, and corrective actions.
• Motivated to improve reuse, standardization, automation, resiliency, and long-term supportability across program test environments.

GH 1042