Sr. Principal Optomechanical Engineer - 4
About The Position
Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Sr. Principal Optomechanical Engineer to support the Electro-Optics Group within the Launch Vehicles business unit in Chandler, Arizona. The engineer will join a multidisciplinary seeker engineering team responsible for designing, integrating, and testing development and flight hardware. The role focuses on mechanical design and analysis of optical assemblies and structures to ensure robust performance in demanding flight and environmental conditions. The position requires an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at the time of application. Travel is 10% of the time, and relocation assistance may be available. The engineer will contribute to optomechanical design, perform structural, thermal, and optical performance analyses, create parametric CAD models and drawings, collaborate across engineering disciplines, and support environmental testing and hardware troubleshooting. The role also includes technical presentations, design reviews, and maintaining error budgets for optomechanical performance and line-of-sight stability.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline and 8 years of relevant experience; or a master’s degree and 6 years of experience; or a PhD and 4 years of experience.
- Active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at the time of application, current and within scope.
- Extensive experience with optomechanical or precision electromechanical design, analysis, and integration.
- Familiarity with structural and thermal analysis methods and their impact on optical performance, including STOP/SILOS concepts.
- Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as CREO, NX, or SolidWorks.
- Experience with optical imaging systems in one or more bands, from visible through LWIR, and understanding of the effects of optical component mounting and alignment.
- Knowledge of relevant industry standards, such as ISO and MIL-STD.
- Strong technical communication skills, including the ability to produce clear documentation and present design and analysis results.
Nice To Haves
- ANSYS mechanical experience.
- NX experience.
- Master’s or PhD in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
- Hands-on experience with STOP and SILOS modeling workflows and integration with optical design tools.
- Experience with missile systems, seeker systems, or other high-reliability applications in challenging environments.
- Previous experience with DoD missile defense programs and associated standards.
- Experience with EO systems, including tolerance analysis, precision alignment, error budgets, and optomechanical design and integration.
- Knowledge of configuring parametric CAD models to support Design of Experiment (DOE).
- Experience with optical design tools such as ZEMAX, Code V, and FRED.
- Experience supporting hardware test campaigns and correlating analysis with measured performance.
Responsibilities
- Contribute to mechanical design of optical assemblies, mounts, and structures for imaging and sensing systems.
- Perform Structural, Thermal, and Optical Performance (STOP) analysis and Structurally Induced Line of Sight (SILOS) analysis across expected environmental and operational conditions.
- Develop parametric 3D CAD models, detailed part and assembly drawings, and associated documentation.
- Collaborate with optical, systems, electrical, and manufacturing engineering teams to refine requirements and ensure design feasibility and producibility.
- Support environmental test planning and execution, and correlate analyses with test results, including vibration, thermal, and shock testing.
- Participate in design reviews and present technical findings and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
- Support troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and design updates for prototype and production hardware.
- Assist with development and maintenance of error budgets related to optomechanical performance and line-of-sight stability.
Benefits
- Health insurance coverage
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Savings plan
- Company-paid holidays
- Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
- Potential overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus, depending on the position
- Relocation assistance may be available
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
