Description

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is looking for a Principal Optical 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 optical design, analysis, integration, and test of development and flight hardware. The role is centered on optical engineering for imaging and sensing systems (visible through LWIR), with an emphasis on how opto‑mechanical design and environments drive optical performance.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and analysis of optical systems for imaging and sensing applications (e.g., refractive/reflective optics, relay optics, athermalized systems, objective lenses).
• Perform optical performance analyses (e.g., wavefront error, MTF, line‑of‑sight (LOS) stability, boresight, sensitivity, and tolerancing) across expected environmental and operational conditions.
• Develop and maintain optical error budgets, including contributions from alignment, manufacturing tolerances, thermal and structural effects, and line‑of‑sight stability.
• Perform Structurally Induced Line of Sight (SILOS) analysis in collaboration with structural and thermal analysts to ensure optical performance is maintained through the full mission profile.
• Define optical requirements and allocate tolerances at the system, subsystem, and component levels; flow requirements to optomechanical design and manufacturing.
• Collaborate closely with opto‑mechanical, systems, electrical, and manufacturing engineers to ensure that optical designs are realizable, producible, and testable.
• Guide and review the development of optomechanical designs (mounts, cells, structures) that support optical alignment, stability, and environmental robustness.
• Develop and review parametric 3D CAD models, detailed drawings, and associated documentation that fully capture opto‑mechanical requirements and constraints.
• Support and sometimes lead laboratory and environmental test activities, including optical alignment, calibration, performance verification, and correlation of analysis to test (vibration, thermal, shock, etc.).
• Participate in design reviews (internal and customer), presenting optical design concepts, analyses, error budgets, and test results to stakeholders.
• Assist with troubleshooting, root‑cause analysis, and design updates for prototype and production hardware when optical performance issues are identified.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline from an accredited university and 5 years of relevant experience; or a Master’s degree and 3 years of experience; or a PhD and 1 year of experience.
• Active U.S. Government - Secret security clearance at time of application.
• Demonstrated experience with optical systems used in imaging, sensing, or seeker applications (may include internships, projects, or early‑career roles).
• Experience with optical performance analysis and an understanding of how structural and thermal environments affect imaging quality and line of sight (e.g., STOP/SILOS concepts).
• Proficiency with optical modeling tools (e.g., ZEMAX, Code V, FRED, or equivalent) for design, analysis, and tolerancing.
• Experience with 3D CAD tools (e.g., CREO, NX, SolidWorks) to interface effectively with opto‑mechanical designs; ANSYS Mechanical experience preferred.
• Experience with optical imaging systems in one or more spectral bands (e.g., visible, NIR, SWIR, MWIR, LWIR).
• Demonstrated problem‑solving skills for complex optical/optomechanical challenges in a project environment.
• Strong technical communication skills, including the ability to generate clear documentation and present optical design/analysis results to technical and non‑technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, or Mechanical Engineering with a focus on optical systems.
• Previous experience with DoD missile defense or seeker programs, including familiarity with performance verification frameworks, environmental qualification, and flight test correlation.
• Hands‑on experience with STOP and SILOS modeling workflows and integration of structural/thermal results with optical design tools.
• Experience with missile systems, seeker systems, or other high‑reliability, environmentally challenging electro‑optical applications.
• Previous experience or knowledge of DoD missile defense programs and associated standards.
• Deep experience with EO systems, including optical design, analysis and tolerancing, stray‑light control, error budgets, radiometric budgets, opto‑mechanical design, and focal plane technologies.
• Proficiency with optical design tools such as ZEMAX, Code V, FRED, and mechanical/optomechanical CAD tools such as NX and SolidWorks.
• Experience planning and executing optical and environmental test campaigns and correlating measured optical performance to predictive analyses.