Operations Technician

This role supports the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) for the Contract for Organizing Spaceflight Mission Operations and Systems (COSMOS), NASA's next-generation mission operations contract located on-site at Johnson Space Center. The Operations Technician plays a direct, hands-on role in training the astronauts who will fly NASA's most critical human spaceflight missions, including the International Space Station (ISS), Commercial Crew (CST/Boeing), and the Artemis/Orion Program - helping get NASA back to the Moon. Operations Technicians support suited training events inside full-scale, made-to-scale spacecraft mockups and prototype training environments by operating and maintaining Environmental Control System (ECS) and breathing-air equipment and, after separate qualification, serving as an SVMF Test Director for pressurized suited events.

Description of Duties

The Operations Technician supports breathing-air, ECS, control-cart, compressor, K-bottle/backup-air, suit-control, and suit-cooling systems used during human-rated training.

The role requires disciplined checklist execution, pressure/flow system awareness, clear test-team communications, emergency response, and maintenance of current qualification and system records.

Successful candidates will:

• Operate, configure, inspect, troubleshoot, and support SVMF breathing-air and ECS equipment within documented qualifications and endorsements.

• Complete ECS Operator OJT tasks including K-bottle installation and changeover, manifold and pressure checks, compressor-cart operation, ECS console preparation, air/water connections, communications checks, airflow and cooling-water control, chiller operation, gauge interpretation, shutdown, and emergency actions.

• Verify breathing-gas purity, cleanliness and contamination controls, pressure-system certification status, relief-device status, gauges/flowmeters, calibration, sampling, and required QA/verification before human use.

• Perform authorized operator maintenance and logbook activities for compressors, drains, filters, hoses/fittings, gauges/flowmeters, gas monitors, and associated ECS equipment; route work outside operator scope through approved engineering/controlled-work processes.

• Support suited training under Test Director control and respond immediately to off-nominal conditions including low-flow/pressure anomalies, loss of primary air source, contamination concerns, communications loss, facility emergencies, or medical emergencies.

• After separate Test Director qualification, conduct event briefings, verify test-team readiness and required checklists, direct pressurized event activities, manage anomalies, and place an event in a hold or terminate condition when required for safety.

• Coordinate with suit technicians, suit engineers, instructors/test conductors, communications personnel, facility management, engineering, and other test-team members.

• Maintain required event checklists, qualification records, equipment logs, calibration/maintenance records, and anomaly documentation.

• Support multiple suited-program configurations such as ISS, CST/Boeing, Orion, EHP, and other assigned programs after completing the applicable qualification.

• Maintain qualification currency through recurring ECS training, emergency drills, system-specific delta training, suited-event proficiency, and Test Director currency requirements when qualified.

• Demonstrate strong situational awareness, stop-work judgment, concise communication, and the ability to perform safely in time-critical human-rated operations.

• Operate forklifts, manlifts, overhead cranes/rigging, POGO, PABF, scaffolds, or other specialized equipment only when individually qualified and endorsed.