Sr. Principal Optomechanical Engineer - 4

Northrop Grumman•Chandler, AZ

2d•$122,800 - $184,200•Onsite

About The Position

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history. Northrop Grumman Space Systems is looking for a Sr. Principal Optomechanical Engineer to support the Electro-Optics Group within the Launch Vehicles business unit in Chandler, Arizona. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary seeker engineering team responsible for design, integration, and testing of development and flight hardware. The role focuses on the mechanical design and analysis of optical assemblies and structures, ensuring robust performance in demanding flight and environmental conditions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline from an accredited university 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 time of application, current and within scope.
Extensive experience with opto-mechanical or precision electro-mechanical design, analysis, and integration.
Familiarity with structural and thermal analysis methods and their impact on optical performance (e.g., STOP/SILOS concepts); ANSYS mechanical experience preferred
Proficiency with 3D CAD tools (e.g., CREO, NX, SolidWorks); NX experience preferred.
Experience with optical imaging systems in one or more bands (e.g., visible through LWIR) and the impacts of optical component mounting and alignment.
Knowledge of relevant industry standards (such as ISO, MIL-STD)
Strong technical communication skills, including the ability to generate clear documentation and present design/analysis results.

Nice To Haves

MS/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, environmentally challenging applications.
Previous experience with DoD missile defense programs and associated standards
Experience with EO systems including tolerance analysis, precision alignment, error budgets, and opto-mechanical design/integration.
Knowledge of configuring parametric CAD models in support of Design of Experiment (DOE).
Experience with optical design tools such as ZEMAX, Code V, and FRED.
Experience supporting hardware test campaigns and correlating analysis to measured performance.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the 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 to ensure system performance over expected environmental and operational conditions.
Develop parametric 3D CAD models, detailed part/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, execution, and correlation of analysis with test results (vibration, thermal, shock, etc.).
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 the development and maintenance of error budgets related to optomechanical performance and line-of-sight stability