RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time
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 - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. 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 — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.
Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Sr. Principal Optical Engineer to serve as the seeker Integrated Dewar Cryo Assembly (IDCA) Responsible Engineer (RE) supporting the Launch Vehicles business unit in Chandler, Arizona.
You will act as the responsible engineer (RE) for the IDCA, its associated close proximity electronics (CPE), and interfaces to the system avionics. In this role, you will provide technical oversight, act as the primary vendor interface, and oversee assembly‑level integration and testing, including how the hardware interfaces at the system level across multiple programs. The ideal candidate will combine deep expertise in electro‑optical/infrared (EO/IR) or cryogenic detector systems with strong leadership and organizational skills to drive cross‑functional collaboration and support critical program milestones.
Responsibilities
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Serve as the IDCA RE for the seeker subsystem, owning requirements, design, integration, and verification for the IDCA, CPE, and associated interfaces.
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Define and manage requirements for IDCA performance, thermal and mechanical environments, electrical interfaces, reliability, and maintainability, ensuring traceability to system level requirements.
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Own and maintain interface control with system avionics, including command, telemetry, power, timing, and data interfaces; lead resolution of interface discrepancies and changes.
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Coordinate with internal systems, guidance navigation and control (GNC), avionics, firmware/software, mechanical, materials, and manufacturing teams to ensure coherent system level integration and design closure.
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Work with suppliers and vendors to develop, procure, and qualify IDCA and CPE hardware; provide detailed technical feedback on designs, analyses, and manufacturing processes.
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Develop and oversee environmental and functional test campaigns for the IDCA and CPE, including thermal‑vacuum, vibration, shock, electrical stress, and performance characterization testing.
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Support system level performance by aiding the sensor model team in validating the IDCA/CPE model performance with measured data.
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Generate and maintain technical documentation including requirements specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), design descriptions, test plans and procedures, and verification reports.
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Manage technical risk associated with IDCA and CPE development, driving mitigation plans for performance, schedule, and producibility risks in collaboration with program management.
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Ensure that all IDCA and CPE vendor development adheres to the program requirements and follows established department command media.
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Provide technical briefings to internal and external stakeholders, including participation in design, integration, and readiness reviews at the assembly and system levels.
Basic Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline from an accredited university and 8 years of related experience; or Master’s degree in a related discipline and 6 years of related experience; or PhD in a related discipline and 4 years of related experience.
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Ability to obtain a U.S. Government - Secret security clearance.
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Understanding of photon detection principles and behavior of materials like Indium Antimonide (InSb) and Type II Superlattice (T2SL)
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Understanding of cryogenic applications involving cooled focal plane arrays, including thermal management, cooldown behavior, and performance assessment in flight‑like environments for aerospace, defense, or other high‑reliability systems.
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Demonstrated experience with system avionics interfaces, such as command/telemetry, data buses, power interfaces, and timing/control interfaces.
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Experience planning and executing environmental and functional tests (e.g., thermal‑vacuum, vibration, shock, electrical performance) for electronic or electro‑mechanical assemblies.
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Proven ability to lead multi‑disciplinary engineering efforts, resolve complex technical issues, and communicate technical status and risks to stakeholders.
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Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing technical documentation and presenting at technical reviews.
Preferred Qualifications
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MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline.
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Active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at the time of application.
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Experience serving as a responsible engineer or technical lead for IDCA, focal plane assembly, or similar cryogenic electro‑optical hardware on missile, space, or other high‑reliability platforms.
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Previous experience with DoD missile defense or seeker programs, including familiarity with performance verification frameworks, environmental qualification, and flight test correlation.
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Hands‑on experience with cryogenic sensor systems, including dewar design, cryocoolers, thermal management, and structural/thermal analysis for cryogenic environments.
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Familiarity with CPE design for low‑noise sensor readout, including printed circuit board (PCB) design constraints, electromagnetic interference (EMI)/ electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) considerations, grounding/shielding strategies, and reliability concerns in harsh environments.
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Experience integrating sensor assemblies and electronics with flight avionics, including development and maintenance of ICDs, bus protocols, and command/telemetry implementations.
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Experience with hardware in the loop (HWIL) or system level test environments, including correlation of IDCA and CPE performance models with lab and flight data.
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Proficiency with engineering analysis and design tools.
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Demonstrated ability to drive supplier development and manufacturing process improvements for complex electro‑mechanical or electro‑optical assemblies.
Primary Level Salary Range: $135,000.00 - $202,600.00
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. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
