Staff Optomechanical Engineer - 5

Relocation assistance may be available. U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance required at time of application, current and within scope. Travel required: 10% of the time.

About the role

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. 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.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is looking for a Staff 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead or 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 complex 3D CAD models, detailed part/assembly drawings, and associated documentation.
• Work collaboratively 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.).
• Serve as a reviewer in design reviews and present technical findings and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead 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.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline from an accredited university and 12 years of relevant experience; or a Master’s degree and 10 years of experience; or a PhD and 8 years of experience.
• Active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope.
• Substantial experience with opto-mechanical or precision electro-mechanical design, analysis, and integration.
• Demonstrated skill in structural and thermal analysis methods and their impact on optical performance (e.g., STOP/SILOS concepts); ANSYS preferred.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools (e.g., CREO, NX, SolidWorks); NX preferred.
• Knowledge of configuring parametric CAD models in support of Design of Experiment (DOE).
• Experience with optical imaging systems in one or more bands (e.g., visible through LWIR) and the impacts of optical component mounting and alignment.
• Expertise in relevant industry standards (such as ISO, MIL-STD).
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills, including the ability to generate clear documentation and present design/analysis results.
• Experience with presenting detailed and concise technical content to program leadership and customer leadership/SMEs.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.
• Experience configuring parametric CAD models for thermal/structural analysis in support of DOE, with statistical analysis performed using tools such as JMP.
• Experience with optical design tools such as ZEMAX, Code V, and FRED.
• Experience supporting hardware test campaigns and correlating analysis to measured performance.

Pay

Primary level salary range: $152,900.00 - $229,300.00. The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills, and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business