Optical Systems Engineer (Senior, Principal) - Millennium Space Systems

Boeing • El Segundo, CA

1d • $146,800 - $248,000

About The Position

Millennium Space Systems, part of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, is a small satellite company focused on national security space missions, including missile warning and Earth observation. The Optical Engineering Team provides optical systems engineering services for programs, studies, proposals, and internal research and development. The team manages interfaces between space vehicles and electro-optical/infrared payloads and laser systems or laser communication payloads; models mission phenomenology and detection performance; develops optical hardware such as star trackers and sensor suites; and supports mission-related image processing. Team members work with mission and systems engineering, manufacturing, and testing teams to lead payload systems efforts end to end.

The Optical Systems Engineer oversees optical systems on assigned programs and ensures system specifications meet mission needs. The role owns mission performance requirements for remote sensing and space-to-space missions, models mission phenomenology and detection performance, and serves as the primary interface among optical payload, space vehicle, and mission data processing teams. The position is internally coded as Electrophysics Engineer/Scientist and is being hired at Level 5 or 6.

The position requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance; an interim and/or final U.S. Secret Clearance is required after starting. Applicants must be eligible and willing to apply for and maintain a clearance. The role is located at a facility requiring special access and must meet U.S. export-control requirements. The employer does not sponsor employment visas. This position is not contingent upon program award and is not safety sensitive.

The role is Shift 1. Relocation assistance is not a negotiable benefit. Pay ranges are $146,800–$208,000 for Level 5 and $174,000–$248,000 for Level 6, depending on candidate experience and qualifications, market, and business considerations. Eligible employees may enroll in benefit programs, which generally include health insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance, and paid and unpaid time away from work. Program availability may vary based on eligibility factors.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• 14 or more years of industry experience in optical engineering; advanced degrees may supplement years of experience.
• Three or more years of experience with performance, phenomenology, or modeling of space-based EO sensors.
• Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for the clearance.
• Must meet U.S. export-control compliance requirements as a U.S. Person.
• Must be eligible and willing to apply for and maintain a security clearance.
• Successful candidates must satisfy the Company’s Conflict of Interest assessment process.

Nice To Haves

• Three or more years of experience with space-to-space and/or space-to-ground laser communication.
• Five or more years of ability or experience training and mentoring team members.
• 20 or more years of industry experience working with satellite optical instrumentation, design, and/or operation.
• On-orbit experience operating and validating the performance of optical communications terminals (OCTs).
• Ability to develop and maintain an OCT link budget.
• Experience designing, integrating, qualifying, and testing satellite optical hardware such as EO/IR payloads, star trackers, and laser rangefinders.
• Experience with onboard and ground processing of optical data to extract mission-related information.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate mission- and unit-level requirements for EO/IR sensors, laser systems (including laser rangefinders and optical communications terminals), and space vehicle interfaces.
• Design and implement modeling and simulation of optical systems.
• Develop and execute ground and on-orbit unit- and system-level tests to verify performance.
• Manage supplier and partner performance.
• Manage complex projects by coordinating work statements, setting and tracking budgets and schedules, and measuring technical performance.
• Support large-scale new business proposals.
• Oversee optical systems on programs and ensure specifications meet mission needs.
• Own mission performance requirements for remote sensing and space-to-space missions and model mission phenomenology and detection performance.
• Manage interfaces among optical payloads, space vehicle teams, and mission data processing teams.

Benefits

• Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance programs.
• Flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts are generally included among available benefits.
• Retirement savings plans are generally included among available benefits.
• Life and disability insurance programs are generally included among available benefits.
• Programs providing paid and unpaid time away from work are generally included among available benefits.
• Competitive base pay and variable compensation opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior