Vibration Engineer

Vibration Engineer

R&K Enterprise Solutions, Inc. (R&K) is a Certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business with an earned reputation for delivering best-value services in Information Technology, Program Security, Information Assurance, Cyber Security, Project and Program Management, Exercise Support and a variety of administrative services to Government agencies. 

The United States Coast Guard (USCG), Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) provides centralized logistics support for all USCG aviation missions. As the sole industrial complex for USCG aviation, ALC provides depot level maintenance, engineering, supply, procurement, acquisition and information services. ALC's mission supports twenty-five (25) USCG aviation units that operate approximately two hundred (200) aircraft and support equipment. These air stations are located throughout the continental United States (U.S.), Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. ALC also provides depot-level maintenance to other Government aircraft.  

As part of R&K’s support to USCG ALC, we are providing highly qualified, trained and experienced personnel to provide Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), engineering, and configuration management, and technical services to support the mission of ALC. Selected candidate will be responsible for the duties listed below.  

Note: This position is contingent upon contract award. 

Title: Vibration Engineer 

Location: Elizabeth City, NC  

Duration: Permanent/Full-Time 

Clearance: Completed/initiated background investigation of at least a Tier 1 

Start Date:  Anticipated Start Date 10 Jul  2025 Contingent upon Award

Duties: The Vibration Engineer services provide engineering to ensure a comprehensive approach to vibration testing, vibration analysis, condition-based maintenance, structural monitoring and health usage monitoring. Condition-based maintenance is the application and integration of appropriate processes, technologies, and knowledge-based capabilities to achieve target availability, reliability, safety, operation costs and support costs of systems and components across their life cycle. The Vibration Engineer works to ensure that Government aircraft, aircraft systems and aircraft components meet acceptable levels of safety and are airworthy. The Vibration Engineer makes recommendations to the USCG to improve reliability, reduce cost and ensure airworthiness. The primary tasking will be to provide vibration engineering expertise in the areas of vibration testing, vibration analysis, vibration technical support, helicopter rotor smoothing, vibration troubleshooting, condition-based maintenance, structural monitoring, health usage monitoring, modal testing and modal analysis. This includes, but is not limited to the following tasks: 

• Provide vibration engineering expertise. Serve as the resident vibration, condition-based maintenance, structural monitoring and health usage monitoring subject matter expert. Provide vibration engineering expertise, condition-based maintenance and usage monitoring guidance to acquisition managers, program managers or air vehicle managers of aircraft, aircraft systems and aircraft components. 

• Design tests, assist in the design of tests and perform vibration tests, condition-based 

maintenance tests, strain gauge tests and other tests of these fields. Analyze, review, draw conclusions and make recommendations from the test result data. Determine compliance of test data with airworthiness requirements, D specifications, OEM standards, or other 

specifications. 

• Apply vibration engineering knowledge and skills to enhance airworthiness, ensure 

structural and component integrity, provide for crew safety and air vehicle safety, reduce 

maintenance, and improve aircraft and aircraft system’s reliability. Provide technical and 

engineering support for the specification, design, testing, installation, operation, use, 

maintenance and analysis of vibration, condition-based maintenance, structural monitoring and health usage monitoring systems. 

• Maintain databases. Review, evaluate, analyze, perform statistical analysis, provide 

summary analysis and draw conclusions from data. Make recommendations for database 

management, database configuration and database tools. 

• Identify appropriate equipment, components, hardware and software for vibration and 

condition-based maintenance and health usage monitoring efforts. Prepare documentation, written proposals and cost estimates for procurement of equipment, components, hardware, services, software and other vibration engineering related efforts. 

• Acquire airborne data, including real time flight test data. Monitor data quality and 

safety of flight. Perform analysis of mechanical diagnostics data, maintenance data, test data, structural data and other component data to provide problem resolution of critical and noncritical components. Provide summary analysis, draw conclusions and make recommendations from the data analysis. This position will require the participation in aircraft ground runs and/or actual flight operations. The contractor will function as a technical observer for the collection of data and be considered mission essential personnel. The aircraft will always be staffed and operated by a USCG designated flight crew. This position may be required to add, remove and adjust vibration or monitoring test equipment to complete task. The contractor may be required to travel to other USCG unit to complete their duties. 

• Develop and refine condition indicators, health indicators, aircraft system vibration 

limits, algorithms, and maintenance techniques from acquired aircraft data. 

• Participate in the analysis and assessment of component tear down analyses. Correlate 

teardown results with component condition prediction of the vibration system or other 

systems. Recommend changes to condition indicators and health indicators. 

• Identify aircraft components, parts or systems for design modifications, process 

changes, or maintenance changes that will improve and support condition-based maintenance effectiveness. Collect and integrate sensors on various components to monitor the health of a system. Utilize an acquisition system to collect and analyze sensor data. Model and predict the collected data for fault detection and to build diagnostic and prognostic models. 

• Review, consider and account for environmental variables in test plans. Provide 

recommendations to account for the interacting and confounding influence of the environment on the test results. 

• Design, develop, conduct, and analyze modal tests. Review modal test plans and reports prepared by other organizations. Analyze, review, draw conclusions and make recommendations from the test data. 

• Create, promulgate and assist in the development of or changes to policy. Prepare 

updates and make recommendations for changes in appropriate technical manuals. 

• Provide training and training materials as required. 

• Resolve technical issues, mechanical failures, performance deficiencies, design faults, 

system shortcomings, human factor interaction, environmental influences and software issues. 

• Support root cause failure analysis. Provide vibration engineering expertise in failure 

analysis and in support of mishap investigations. 

• Provide vibration engineering expertise to Aviation Mishap Analysis Boards, USCG Air 

Stations, and ALC product lines as required. 

• Perform office, field and air station vibration engineering tasks. 

• Assist Vibration Program Office in establishing annual and long-term vibration 

engineering goals and monitoring their progress. 

• Participate in meeting and working groups. Interact with members involved in the field 

of vibration condition-based maintenance and usage monitoring. Liaise with USCG, DoD industry, vibration, usage and airworthiness authorities. 

• Provide written reports. 

• Perform other engineering duties as required. The Vibration Engineer may also be 

required to assist other positions. 

Requirements, Relevant Knowledge and/or Skills Required:  
 

• Bachelor of Science degree Aerospace Engineering, Astronautics, Aeronautical 

Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Systems Engineering, or 

Vehicle Engineering. The degree shall be from an Accreditation Board of Engineering 

and Technology (ABET) accredited school. 

• Minimum of four (4) years’ experience in vibration engineering. 

• Knowledgeable in helicopter rotor smoothing. 

• Experience in modal testing and analysis. 

• Strong working knowledge of data base management. 

• Experience in condition-based maintenance practices. 

• Skilled in the use of standard and specialized tools and the equipment of the discipline. 

• Experience in Mat-Lab or equivalent software. 

• Ability to work in and around aircraft, including the top of wings. 

• Clearance: Completed/initiated background investigation of at least a Tier 1. 

R&K Enterprise Solutions, Inc. is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer committed to cultural diversity and compliance. All qualified women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply for R&K job vacancies. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.