Sr. Optical Systems Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation•Colorado Springs, CO

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space. The Defense Systems Group (DSG) provides analysis-based decision support to senior leaders on space architectures, policy and strategy, technology development, warfighter capability enablers, systems integration, defense industrial base, and threat reduction to help shape existing and future space missions across the national security space (NSS) enterprise. DSG is unique at Aerospace as it not only directly supports major customers, including the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and senior leadership at the Pentagon, but also provides a broad range of technical support across the national space enterprise, maintaining vertical responsibilities with customers’ portfolios as well as horizontal, matrixed responsibilities across the corporation. Additionally, DSG provides deep technical expertise to the Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) in the conception, design, acquisition, launch and operations of satellite, launch vehicle, ground control, and range systems. Project West Wing (PWW) within DSG provides technical intelligence analysis and research for a broad range of national security space and intelligence community customers. The Threat Intelligence for Operations (TIO) group within PWW focuses on providing technical intelligence support across the defense space community including U.S. Space Command, Space Systems Command, and the Space Warfighting Analysis Center. Join us and actively contribute to a high-performing team bringing to bear technical skills to characterize the fast-evolving field of space threats and its implications to U.S. national security space. Participate in a wide range of technical activities, work with technical intelligence, analyze threats to space programs, and influence customer decisions on important national security space topics. The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in Colorado Springs, CO.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an in STEM related discipline, or closely related technical field.
12 or more years of professional experience modeling, building, or designing optical systems or related systems and technologies.
Experience managing projects and leading diverse technical teams.
Demonstrated intellectual curiosity and creative problem solving.
Strong demonstrated written and oral communication skills are required to collaborate with peers and customers and generate deliverable products.
Proven ability to establish and maintain effective interpersonal and working relationships with various levels of corporate staff, peers, management, program offices, customers, and contractors.
Demonstrated initiative and strong technical leadership skills, with proven ability to work with and build teams.
The ability to travel is required
This position requires a current and active TS/SCI security clearance or immediately eligible for a TS clearance, which is issued by the US government.
U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

A graduate level degree in a scientific, engineering, or mathematics discipline.
Experience working with government space entities such as the NRO, SSDP, or SWAC.
Experience with computational modeling and experimental validation of advanced optical systems.

Responsibilities

Modelling and analyzing optical, electro-optical mechanical systems and components, including sensors, lasers, fiber-optics and related high energy systems.
Acting as a lead technical contributor, consultant, and project coordinator on space systems engineering analysis projects.
Working with technical intelligence to develop impactful analytical analysis of space systems and technologies.
Work with teams of PWW colleagues, Aerospace engineers, government customers, and government contract support to inform accurate in-depth research, detailed modeling, or other multi-disciplinary engineering analysis required to answer operational and intelligence requirements.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive awareness and understanding of current and developing threats to current and future U.S. national security space and nuclear deterrence systems, architectures, and missions.
Actively participate in and provide advice and assistance in technical operational readiness assessments.
Build and maintain relationships with other Aerospace colleagues, intelligence community, and national security space organizations to facilitate the exchange of information and ensure the accuracy of the group’s analyses.
Protect and maintain the organization’s reputation for integrity with unbiased, independent, high-quality analysis.
Gather, assimilate, process, and analyze a wide variety of open source and other forms of data and information; apply intelligence analysis, scientific, and/or engineering methods to draw conclusions and extrapolate answers to both specific and general scientific and technical threat intelligence questions.
Travel as required to contractor locations, government facilities, and other Aerospace offices.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
Flexible spending accounts
Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
Relocation assistance
Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
Education assistance programs
An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect