Sr. Staff Optomechanical Engineer - 6

Northrop Grumman • Chandler, AZ

1d • $183,200 - $274,800 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Sr. Staff Optomechanical Engineer to support the Electro-Optics Group within the Launch Vehicles business unit in Chandler, Arizona. The role serves as a senior technical leader and subject-matter expert for optomechanical design and performance across multiple programs. The engineer works with multidisciplinary seeker and electro-optical engineering teams, often as a technical lead, on the architecture, design, integration, and test of development and flight hardware. The work focuses on advanced mechanical design and analysis of optical assemblies and structures to ensure robust performance in demanding flight and environmental conditions.

The position provides technical leadership and cross-program oversight, establishes design architecture and standards, and leads or reviews design, analysis, testing, and troubleshooting efforts. It also includes mentoring engineers and communicating technical findings, risks, and recommendations to program leadership and customer stakeholders. Relocation assistance may be available. The role requires an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at the time of application and involves travel approximately 10% of the time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline and 14 years of relevant experience; alternatively, a master’s degree and 12 years of experience, or a Ph.D. and 10 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 for high-reliability systems.
• Demonstrated mastery of structural and thermal analysis methods and their impact on optical performance, including STOP/SILOS concepts; ANSYS is preferred.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as CREO, NX, or SolidWorks; NX is preferred.
• Experience configuring parametric CAD models for Design of Experiment (DOE) and variability analysis.
• Experience with optical imaging systems in one or more bands, from visible through LWIR, and understanding of how optical component mounting, alignment, and thermomechanical environments affect image quality and line of sight.
• Expertise in relevant industry standards, such as ISO and MIL-STD, and their application to optomechanical design.
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills, including preparing clear documentation and presenting design and analysis results.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional or cross-program technical efforts, including presenting detailed and concise technical content to program and customer leadership or subject-matter experts.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
• Hands-on experience with advanced 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.
• Deep experience with electro-optical systems, including tolerance analysis, precision alignment, error budgets, and optomechanical design and integration.
• Experience configuring parametric CAD models for thermal and structural analysis in support of DOE, with statistical analysis using tools such as JMP.
• Experience with optical design tools such as ZEMAX, Code V, and FRED, and their interfaces with mechanical and thermal counterpart tools.
• Experience leading or overseeing hardware test campaigns and correlating analysis with measured performance.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and cross-program oversight of optomechanical design and performance for seeker and electro-optical systems across programs and product lifecycle phases.
• Define and champion optomechanical architecture and design standards, and drive reusable process improvements supporting performance, producibility, and affordability.
• Lead or oversee mechanical design of complex optical assemblies, mounts, structures, and tolerance budgets for imaging and sensing systems, including line-of-sight-critical elements and precision mechanisms.
• Plan, perform, and review Structural, Thermal, and Optical Performance (STOP) and Structurally Induced Line of Sight (SILOS) analyses for expected environmental and operational conditions.
• Develop and guide development of complex 3D CAD models, detailed part and assembly drawings, and associated documentation; maintain configuration control and design traceability across programs.
• Collaborate with optical, systems, electrical, manufacturing, and test engineering teams to refine requirements and ensure design feasibility, producibility, and verification approaches.
• Provide technical direction for environmental test planning, execution, and correlation of analysis with vibration, thermal, shock, and other test results; drive resolution of discrepancies.
• Review and approve internal and external design reviews, presenting technical findings, risks, and recommendations to program leadership and customer stakeholders.
• Lead troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and design updates for prototype and production hardware.
• Mentor and coach junior and mid-level engineers, developing organizational technical depth in optomechanical design, analysis, and test.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company-paid holidays
• Paid time off for vacation and/or personal business
• Potential eligibility for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus

What This Job Offers

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