Northrop Grumman Space Systems is looking for aPrincipal Optical Engineerto support the ElectroOptics Group within the Launch Vehicles business unit in Chandler, Arizona.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary seeker engineering team responsible foroptical design, analysis, integration, and testof development and flight hardware. The role is centered onoptical engineering for imaging and sensing systems(visible through LWIR), with an emphasis on how optomechanical design and environments drive optical performance.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to thedesign and analysis of optical systemsfor imaging and sensing applications (e.g., refractive/reflective optics, relay optics, athermalized systems, objective lenses).
• Performoptical performance analyses(e.g., wavefront error, MTF, lineofsight (LOS) stability, boresight, sensitivity, and tolerancing) across expected environmental and operational conditions.
• Develop and maintainoptical error budgets, including contributions from alignment, manufacturing tolerances, thermal and structural effects, and lineofsight stability.
• PerformStructurally Induced Line of Sight (SILOS)analysis in collaboration with structural and thermal analysts to ensure optical performance is maintained through the full mission profile.
• Defineoptical requirementsand allocate tolerances at the system, subsystem, and component levels; flow requirements to optomechanical design and manufacturing.
• Collaborate closely with optomechanical, systems, electrical, and manufacturing engineers to ensure that optical designs arerealizable, producible, and testable.
• Guide and review the development ofoptomechanical designs(mounts, cells, structures) that support optical alignment, stability, and environmental robustness.
• Develop and reviewparametric 3D CAD models, detailed drawings, and associated documentation that fully capture optomechanical requirements and constraints.
• Support and sometimes leadlaboratory 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), presentingoptical design concepts, analyses, error budgets, and test resultsto stakeholders.
• Assist with troubleshooting, rootcause analysis, and design updates for prototype and production hardware when optical performance issues are identified.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors degree inOptical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline from an accredited university and 5 years of relevant experience; or a Masters 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 withoptical systemsused in imaging, sensing, or seeker applications (may include internships, projects, or earlycareer roles).
• Experience withoptical performance analysisand an understanding of how structural and thermal environments affect imaging quality and line of sight (e.g., STOP/SILOS concepts).
• Proficiency withoptical modeling tools(e.g., ZEMAX, Code V, FRED, or equivalent) for design, analysis, and tolerancing.
• Experience with3D CAD tools(e.g., CREO, NX, SolidWorks) to interface effectively with optomechanical designs; ANSYS Mechanical experience preferred.
• Experience withoptical imaging systemsin one or more spectral bands (e.g., visible, NIR, SWIR, MWIR, LWIR).
• Demonstrated problemsolving 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 nontechnical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD inOptical Engineering, Physics, or Mechanical Engineeringwith 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.
• Handson experience withSTOP and SILOS modeling workflowsand integration of structural/thermal results with optical design tools.
• Experience withmissile systems, seeker systems, or other highreliability, environmentally challenging electrooptical applications.
• Previous experience or knowledge ofDoD missile defense programsand associated standards.
• Deep experience withEO systems, including optical design, analysis and tolerancing, straylight control, error budgets, radiometric budgets, optomechanical design, and focal plane technologies.
• Proficiency withoptical design toolssuch as ZEMAX, Code V, FRED, and mechanical/optomechanical CAD tools such as NX and SolidWorks.
• Experience planning and executingoptical and environmental test campaignsand correlating measured optical performance to predictive analyses.