Engineer/Principal Engineer Survivability - Infrared Technology (California)

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription

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.

At Northrop Grumman, we Define Possible. We are a passionate community of engineers and leaders, a creative community of scientists and researchers, a diverse community of human beings, all driven to pioneer the future. And in Survivability, that future is bright… Or, from the enemy’s perspective, it is as dark as the cover of a moonless night.

Now, imagine sitting in a stadium, or outside at a parade, and the next generation of Stealth Technology flies overhead, drawing a roar of admiration from the crowd. Imagine being able to turn to the person next to you and saying “I had a hand in that.” At Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems and in Survivability Engineering, that could be Your Possible.

We are tasked with developing, testing, and implementing new materials, technologies, and concepts, that enable the most lethal, intelligent, and collaborative systems to penetrate and operate in enemy airspace with impunity. We work hand in hand with a broad swath of other engineering disciplines to design, develop, manufacture, and sustain these systems. Our responsibilities span the full Systems Engineering lifecycle—from research and development to modeling and analysis, from static / component test to dynamic flight test, from manufacturing floor support to field repairs and maintenance, and more.

We work across multiple spectrums—from RF (Radio Frequency), to IR (Infrared) and Visual, to Acoustic. Our engineers work in various environments—behind desks, in highly specialized labs, at indoor and outdoor test and measurement ranges, and at overseas operational locations. Our team is critical to the cradle-to-grave success of our cornerstone programs and the programs of the future, and your role on our team would be equally critical to our success as an organization. Without Survivability Engineers, there is no Low in Low Observable. Without us, there is no Stealth in Stealth Bomber. Join us, and let’s Define Survivable together!

Northrop Grumman is an industry leader in Stealth Technology. We are involved in all phases of development, production, and maintenance of Stealth Aircraft.  We are currently looking for Engineer/Principal Engineer Survivability - Infrared Technology to work on exciting and challenging projects. This position will be located on-site in either Redondo Beach, CA or San Diego, CA.

We need your help to engineer at the edge of the impossible!

We are looking for an mid-career optics engineer that can bring their experience in lens design and integration to our end-to-end survivability team!

What You’ll Do:

• Bring your experience in optical design to our team, acting as the responsible engineer for lenses and other optical components for cutting-edge technologies.
• Learn to model, simulate, and reduce the detectability of aircraft in the electromagnetic, infrared, visual and acoustic spectrums.
• Thrive in a fast-paced collaborative work environment with diverse assignments.
• Get your hands dirty and verify your predictions by building and testing physical models.
• Take responsibility for achieving customer goals and balancing the design in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment.

Basic Qualifications:

• Educational/ Experience Requirements:
  • Engineer (LV2): Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 2 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 0 years of related engineering experience
  • Principal Engineer (LV3): Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 1 years of related engineering experience.

• Demonstrated experience in design of optical systems using applied optical theory and raytrace methods - initial concept to manufacturable hardware design
• Demonstrated experience using tools such as Zemax, FRED, or Code V.
• Familiarity with NX and/or other computer aided design (CAD) software.
• Familiarity with C++, CUDA, Python, and/or other programming languages.
• Strong interpersonal communication and technical writing skills.
• Must have an Active U.S. Government in-scope Secret Security Clearance
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Program Access (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience designing non‑rotationally symmetric optics.
• Experience in infrared signature analysis using test data and/or infrared simulation tools.
• Demonstrated software development experience in C++, CUDA, or Python.
• Understanding of infrared radiation physics as it relates to aircraft survivability.
• Expertise in the design, planning, and execution of both laboratory and in-flight testing of infrared technologies.
• Experience with proposal writing and project cost estimation.
• Experience in project and/or supply-chain management.
• A current active U.S. Government in-scope DoD Top Secret security clearance

Primary Level Salary Range: $101,000.00 - $151,400.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $125,300.00 - $187,900.00

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.