Optical IT Engineer

About the role

SAIC is seeking a senior Multi-Disciplinary Optical IT Engineer to join the Space and Intelligence Business Group. The role supports the Nation’s leading-edge IC and DoD space programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of optical engineers and analysts in Perform program-specific analyses, understand foreign threat capabilities and development, and conduct optical and laser phenomenology research
• Perform rapid prototyping of optical modeling and simulation tools of various fidelities
• Designing and editing satellite models and optical simulations to inform analyses and trade studies related to operational scenarios
• Developing estimates of space object optical signatures using physics-based methods or via similarity to existing data
• Developing and refining innovative concepts for space laser systems and architectures
• Conducting detailed assessments and analysis of space laser system performance, focusing on rigorous link budget modeling, system efficiencies, and platform-specific trade-offs
• Evaluate the impacts of different modulation techniques, laser architectures, and photonics technologies on overall system performance
• Simulating SDA data of space objects that represent the sensor system’s spatial, spectral, and other capabilities under representative seeing conditions
• Quantifying impacts and sensitivity to changes in Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), scenarios and/or threats
• Developing and briefing analytical results for stand-alone and broader assessment products
• Achieving detailed understanding of multiple satellite systems, designs, operations, and classifications in order to make design or CONOPS recommendations
• Developing and maintaining in-depth knowledge of U.S. and Foreign SDA optical capabilities
• Frequently interacting with program managers, SETAs, FFRDCs and external stakeholders
• Developing productive relationships with the Program Office, Prime, and Subcontract counterparts, functional IC or DoD counterparts, and other SMEs
• Tasking, timelines, status, and deliverables for the optical team across the analysis, threat and phenomenology functions
• Represent the Optical team and coordinate with cross-phenomenology project engineers and teams
• Understand and negotiate needs for Optical team support and/or status tasks previously assigned to the Optical team
• Execute the above in the office workflow process, which includes team meetings, scrums, product peer reviews, and program-specific meetings
• Maintain the Optical team’s JIRA elements (e.g. tasks, resources, schedule) and their digital notebook that contains internal/external team meeting notes, and trip reports

Qualifications

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in physics, Engineering or Math and 14 or more years 12 or more with a Masters, 9 or more with a PhD of direct experience
• Active TS/SCI Clearance with Special Access eligibility and consent to a Counter Intelligence (CI) polygraph
• US Citizenship is required
• Experience with ground or space-based optical or laser systems, the fields of photonics or optoelectronics, space object optical characterization or data processing techniques
• Understanding material properties, and component characteristics to determine performance, susceptibilities, and operational reliability
• Experience with project or task technical leadership
• Familiarity or experience with optical systems in Space Domain Awareness (SDA) applications
• Working knowledge of laser propagation, atm scattering, and laser communication modulation formats and techniques
• Experience with optical communications and space hardware testing including development of testbeds, ground support test equipment, test programs and management of test program execution for lasercom, component, units, subsystems or systems
• Familiarity with National Security Space architecture (IC and/or DoD)
• Familiarity with US Intelligence Community resources and products
• Fluency in specialized software tools or scripting languages relevant for space systems, such as MATLAB, Python, C++, or Zemax and MODTRAN
• Experience modeling optical systems in STK
• Previous experience with laser communications hardware and systems
• Experience performing atmospheric transmission modelling

Benefits

This position qualifies for enhanced benefits.

Pay

Target salary range $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.