Planetary Geoscientist II, Off-Planet Systems
Required skills
- extraterrestrial soils
- lunar regolith
- Martian regolith
- simulants
- robotic construction
- physical properties
- chemical properties
- mineralogical properties
- structural ceramics
- sintering
Nice to have
- lunar regolith simulants
- Martian regolith simulants
- planetary testing environments
- space analog testing environments
- ceramics engineering
- mechanical systems
Role summary
ICON is seeking a Planetary Geoscientist to advance off-planet construction by focusing on extraterrestrial soil simulants, particularly lunar and Martian regolith. This role involves understanding, simulating, and validating these simulants for research, development, and robotic construction. You will collaborate with engineers, researchers, and vendors to ensure simulant quality and support ICON's mission for sustainable human presence beyond Earth. Responsibilities include documenting simulant properties, supporting material processing, validating against analog data, and advising on geotechnical and handling systems. The position requires a Master's degree and 5+ years of relevant experience in geology or materials characterization.
ICON is seeking a Planetary Geoscientist to help drive the future of off-planet construction. This role will focus on understanding and simulating extraterrestrial soils, specifically lunar and Martian regolith, and developing methods to validate, manage, and leverage these simulants for research, development, and robotic construction. You will interface with internal engineers, external researchers, and vendors to ensure regolith simulants are fit for purpose and support ICON’s goal of enabling sustainable human presence beyond Earth. This role is based in Austin, TX and will report to our Senior Director of Off-Planet Systems.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Prescribe and document physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of lunar and Martian regolith simulants for ICON’s research and mission goals.
Support process development, characterization, and optimization for converting lunar and Martian regolith simulants into structural ceramics using sintering, melt processing, and related thermal methods.
Validate regolith simulants against planetary analog data across physical, mineralogical, and chemical parameters.
Collaborate with mechanical and robotic engineers on geotechnical implications for robotic excavation, conveyance, and processing systems.
Co-design and qualify regolith and regolith simulant conveyance and handling systems.
Interface with internal customers (e.g., robotics and materials teams) and external stakeholders (vendors, research partners, space agencies) to ensure simulant fidelity and research alignment.
Conduct Design of Experiments (DOEs) and characterization studies on derived regolith products.
Collaborate with Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) teams to validate models against experimental data and use simulation results to guide regolith-to-ceramic process development.
Support testing and analysis of simulants under simulated lunar or Martian environmental conditions.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Master’s degree in Planetary Geology, Materials Science, civil engineering, or a closely related field.
5+ years of hands-on laboratory or field experience in geology, materials characterization, or simulant development.
Experience validating geologic or synthetic materials through mineralogical, chemical, and physical testing techniques.
Ability to manage multiple technical efforts, coordinate with cross-functional teams, and communicate findings clearly.
Strong communication skills (written and verbal).
Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
PREFERRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Experience with lunar or Martian regolith simulants.
Familiarity with planetary & space analog testing environments.
Experience with ceramics engineering.
Knowledge of mechanical systems or robotics related to excavation or conveyance.
Background working in low volume, high mix R&D environments.
Furthermore, as a federal government contractor, the Company maintains an affirmative action program which furthers its commitment and complies with recordkeeping and reporting requirements under certain federal civil rights laws and regulations, including Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (as amended).
Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit candidates through this application. ICON does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency submissions for candidates and will not pay fees to any third-party agency without a prior agreement with ICON.
As part of our compliance with these obligations, the Company invites you to voluntarily self-identify as set forth below. Provision of such information is entirely voluntary and a decision to provide or not provide such information will not have any effect on your employment or subject you to any adverse treatment. Any and all information provided will be considered confidential, will be kept separate from your application and/or personnel file, and will only be used in accordance with applicable laws, orders and regulations, including those that require the information to be summarized and reported to the federal government for civil rights enforcement purposes.
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