Distinguished Astronomical Instrument Engineer

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory•Cambridge, MA

4d•$75,000 - $220,000

About The Position

Draper is seeking a scientist or engineer with deep experience in astronomy, optical engineering, optomechanics, or astrophysics, along with hands-on experience in optics-based celestial imaging instruments and astronomy-based data reduction and analysis. The successful candidate will contribute to complex technology development, including proposing, capturing, and leading large-scale astronomical instrumentation projects; conceptualizing, designing, and modeling novel observing instruments; and training, building, and mentoring engineering teams. Candidates are expected to demonstrate engineering achievement, proposal development and business capture, external business and vendor management, technical direction, and team leadership and mentorship. The role also requires the ability to quickly learn new skills on the job. The position involves developing hardware instrument solutions for complex multidisciplinary problems, understanding customer priorities, and helping customers shape needs and requirements. The engineer serves as a subject matter expert in hardware instrument development, leads technically diverse projects, designs experiments and experimental hardware, and collaborates on prototype and production hardware and system integration. The role also includes preparing and presenting technical documents, reports, and test results. Applicants selected must obtain and maintain a government security clearance; a clearance is preferred. This is a full-time position based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The listed US base salary range is $75,000–$220,000. Compensation within the range depends on work location and factors such as job-related skills, experience, and education or training. The salary range reflects base salary only and excludes bonuses and benefits. Draper describes workplace flexibility and employee clubs, workshops, social events, and discounts to local museums and cultural activities as part of its work-life balance support.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Engineering.
At least 15 years of experience in hardware instrument engineering or a related field.
Deep experience in astronomy, optical engineering, optomechanics, or astrophysics.
Hands-on technical experience with optics-based celestial imaging instruments and astronomy-based data reduction and analysis.
Proven record of engineering excellence and achievement, proposal development and business capture, external business and vendor management, technical direction, and team leadership and mentorship.
Ability to quickly learn on-the-job skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Understanding of the design, development, and application of a wide variety of instruments.
Understanding of processes used to fabricate precision instrument hardware.
Thorough understanding of applied mathematics and physics.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with general modeling and simulation tools such as MATLAB, CAD software, FEA software, and/or other design and analysis tools relevant to the discipline.
Applicants selected for the position must obtain and maintain a government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master's or PhD degree.
Government security clearance.

Responsibilities

Formulate hardware instrument solutions independently for complex, multidisciplinary problems, with an understanding of customer strategic priorities.
Help customers shape needs and develop hardware instrument requirements for programs addressing challenging technical problems.
Serve as a subject matter expert in hardware instrument development, with knowledge across related technical disciplines.
Lead large, technically diverse hardware instrument projects.
Design experiments and experimental hardware to determine viable and optimal design concepts.
Collaborate with engineers to design and develop prototype and production hardware for application needs.
Collaborate with other groups to integrate precision instruments into larger systems and meet performance metrics.
Draft and present formal technical documents, reports, and testing results.
Propose, capture, and lead large-scale astronomical instrumentation projects.
Conceptualize, design, and model novel and complex observing instruments.
Train, build, and mentor engineering teams and team members.
Perform other duties as assigned.