Contamination Control Engineer

The Precision Cleaning Engineer ensures that spaceflight hardware meets stringent contamination requirements to enable mission success. In this role, you will work within a spaceflight hardware production and test group, collaborating with a diverse team focused on planning, procuring, inspecting, cleaning, testing, and stocking hardware for space missions. You will apply your expertise in contamination engineering and precision cleaning to develop and execute contamination control strategies, perform hands-on cleaning and verification, and support spacecraft integration, test, and launch activities.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to and review contamination control plans for spaceflight hardware to ensure they meet mission and program requirements.
• Define and outline cleanliness standards for hardware, processes, and environments, and verify that these standards are consistently achieved.
• Perform physical hands-on cleaning of spaceflight hardware, including aqueous degreasing and solvent flushing of components with various surface finishes.
• Formulate contamination budgets and mitigation strategies that support mission objectives and hardware performance requirements.
• Conduct outgassing and material analysis to assess the suitability of materials and processes for use in space environments.
• Verify cleanliness levels through particulate counts, non-volatile residue measurements, and black light (UV) inspection techniques.
• Provide technical support and guidance for precision cleaning, inspection, and verification processes throughout the hardware lifecycle.
• Collaborate with integration and test teams to provide contamination control expertise for spacecraft integration, environmental testing, and launch activities.
• Apply knowledge of cleanroom practices and contamination requirements to maintain controlled environments for spaceflight hardware.
• Support the planning and coordination of contamination control activities related to the procurement, inspection, cleaning, testing, and stocking of spaceflight hardware.

• Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Physics, Materials Engineering, or a related science or engineering field.
• At least 2 years of experience in Contamination Engineering, including hands-on work in a cleanroom environment.
• Experience performing precision cleaning, inspection, and verification processes on spaceflight hardware.
• Experience precision cleaning hardware with solvents and surfactants on spacecraft materials such as metals, composites, and polymers with varying surface finishes.
• Ability to interpret and apply contamination requirements and cleanliness standards to space hardware and processes.
• Ability to work occasional overtime or extended shifts, as well as occasional travel, to support mission schedules and critical operations.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to document procedures, results, and compliance with contamination control plans.

• Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Physics, Materials Engineering, or a related science or engineering field.
• At least 5 years of experience in Contamination Engineering, including experience with spaceflight hardware.
• Experience with vacuum testing procedures such as MSFC-SPEC-1238, ASTM 595, and ASTM 1559.
• Experience in particulate and molecular sampling for analysis in accordance with industry standards such as IEST-STD-CC1246E.
• Familiarity with ISO cleanroom certification standards and their application to spaceflight hardware processing.
• Expertise in performing contamination transport analysis and modelling to predict and mitigate contamination risks.
• Hands-on experience with precision cleaning processes, including aqueous degreasing, solvent flushing, and verification techniques such as particulate counting and non-volatile residue measurement.
• Knowledge of contamination control plans, contamination requirements, and best practices for space hardware and cleanroom operations.
• Experience working with space hardware and spaceflight environments, including integration and test activities.

You will work in a specialized spaceflight hardware production and test environment that includes cleanrooms and controlled areas dedicated to contamination-sensitive operations. The role involves frequent interaction with spaceflight hardware, precision cleaning equipment, and inspection tools used for particulate counting, non-volatile residue measurement, and UV (black light) inspection. You will collaborate closely with engineering, integration, and test teams to support hardware planning, procurement, inspection, cleaning, testing, and stocking. The position may require occasional overtime or extended shifts to meet critical mission milestones, as well as occasional travel to support spacecraft integration, test, or launch activities. The work environment emphasizes rigorous adherence to contamination control procedures, cleanroom protocols, and industry standards such as MSFC-SPEC-1238, ASTM 595, ASTM 1559, IEST-STD-CC1246E, and ISO cleanroom standards.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Laurel, MD.

The pay range for this position is $69.72 - $76.93/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Laurel,MD.

This position is anticipated to close on May 15, 2026.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:

• Hiring diverse talent
• Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection
• Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes
• Ensuring growth opportunities for our people

Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services. For more than 40 years, we’ve helped visionary companies advance their goals. Headquartered in the United States, our teams span 150 offices across North America, EMEA, and APAC—with four delivery centers in India led by 1,000 extraordinary employees who connect their passion with purpose every day.

Our Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai delivery centers are hubs of engineering expertise, with core capabilities in mechanical and electrical engineering, systems and software, and manufacturing engineering. Our teams deliver work across multiple industries including transportation, consumer and industrial products, and life sciences. We serve more than 4,500 clients, including many Fortune 500 brands. Learn more about how we can work together at actalentservices.com.

Salary : $70 - $77