Antarctic Science and Engineering Support

KBR is the incoming prime contractor for the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Science and Engineering Support Contract (ASESC). We are building a team that will keep world-class science alive in one of Earth's most remote environments, beginning in October 2026. If you are driven by mission, community and work that genuinely matters, this is where you belong.

- - 3,000 participants per year
  - 3 year-round research stations
  - 200+ active science projects
  - 70 years of continuous U.S. presence

Antarctic Scientific Research

The National Science Foundation manages the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) on behalf of the nation. The ASESC contractor makes that science possible — through logistics, engineering, station operations, cargo movement,and everything in between. The research happening here cannot happen anywhere else on Earth.

Climate + Atmosphere

Ice cores drilled from the Antarctic ice sheet contain atmospheric records stretching back millions of years. No archive on Earth is more complete. Understanding past climate is essential to understanding our future.

Astrophysics + Neutrino Physics

The South Pole's thin, dry polar air and months of uninterrupted darkness make it Earth's best ground-based observatory for studying the universe. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, buried beneath the ice, detects particles from across the cosmos.

Marine Ecosystems

The Southern Ocean drives global ocean circulation and supports some of the planet's richest and most distinctive marine life. Research here informs fisheries management, food security and our understanding of biological productivity.

Glaciology + Sea Level

Three Stations. One Mission.

Each station is distinct in geography, science focus, and daily life. All three are year-round and fully operational. All three depend on the people who keep them running.

McMurdo Station

The hub of U.S. Antarctic logistics and the largest American station on the continent. McMurdo is the gateway to the South Pole and to deep-field science camps across the continent. Approximately 90% of all USAP participants live or transit through here. The Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center is the primary research facility, supporting biology, geology, physics, chemistry and atmospheric science.

Summer population: 800 - 1,000
Winter population: 120 - 200
Flights to Christchurch, New Zealand during Mainbody (October–February)
Two airfields: Williams Field (ski-equipped) and Phoenix Airfield (wheeled aircraft)
Primary logistics hub for South Pole and continental field camps

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

One of the most isolated human outposts on Earth. The elevated station supports astrophysics, neutrino detection, seismology, geomagnetism, atmospheric research and glaciology in conditions found nowhere else. The station is isolated from February through October each year; personnel who winter over form an extraordinarily close-knit community.

Summer population: 100 – 150
Winter population: 40 - 50
Access via ski-equipped aircraft from McMurdo only

Palmer Station

The smallest of the three stations and the only one north of the Antarctic Circle. Surrounded by glaciers, islands and open ocean, Palmer is primarily a marine biology station. Most of the research here focuses on birds, seals, marine ecosystems and oceanography. The station is accessible year-round by ice-class vessel from Punta Arenas, Chile.

Summer population: 35 - 40
Winter population: 12 - 20
Access via ice-class vessels

What it's like to be there

Housing and meals are included

Meals and lodging are provided at no charge at all three stations. Rooms are dormitory-style with shared bathrooms. Food service is cafeteria-style with variety offered daily. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options are often available, though people with severe dietary restrictions should plan accordingly.

A different pace of work

The standard station workweek is 54 hours (9 hours per day, Monday through Saturday). Field camps and vessel assignments run 84 hours per week. Days are full, purposeful and unlike anything you will find in a conventional job.

Community life is the fabric of your time here

McMurdo Station has a gymnasium, weight and cardio rooms, a library, a craft room, a climbing wall, saunas, a band room and year-round organized community events. South Pole Station has similar amenities adapted to its smaller scale. Palmer Station features an exercise room, outdoor hot tub and sauna. The community you build with the people around you becomes the core of your Antarctic experience.

Continuous daylight — or darkness

South of 66.5°S, the sun does not set in summer and does not rise in winter. Expect months of 24-hour brightness during Mainbody and spectacular aurora australis displays during winter darkness, which affects sleep, mood and daily rhythms.

Medical clearance is required

All participants must pass a rigorous physical and dental qualification (PQ) process that typically takes up to eight weeks. Medical facilities on the continent are designed for urgent care and emergency stabilization only. Start your PQ process early.

Gateway cities and international travel

Most participants transit through Christchurch, New Zealand, where ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) clothing is issued before the flight south. Peninsula-bound participants route through Punta Arenas, Chile. USAP arranges travel and lodging along the way and provides official letters for visa and immigration purposes.

You are not just keeping the lights on

Every person on this team is a direct enabler of science that matters to all of humanity. The researchers who depend on USAP infrastructure are studying things that cannot be studied anywhere else on Earth.

Scientists working in USAP facilities are studying ice sheet dynamics that will determine future sea levels, detecting neutrinos from across the cosmos, monitoring the ozone layer and atmospheric chemistry, tracking changes in marine ecosystems and biodiversity, and measuring the gravitational and magnetic properties of Earth's interior. None of this happens without the logistics coordinators, mechanics, cargo specialists, IT professionals, cooks, waste managers, engineers and operations staff who make the infrastructure work.

A mission this consequential requires more than competence. It also requires alignment. When the community is cohesive, when people trust each other, when knowledge is shared, and when people show up not just for their role but for the place and the mission, science gets done safely and at its full potential.

KBR's commitment under ASESC is to build exactly that kind of community. A community where every person understands the mission, believes in it, and brings their best to it. You will matter here not just for your skills, but for the culture you help create.