Principal / Sr Principal Mechanical Engineer (*Active Secret required)

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

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 an experienced Mechanical Engineer to join our team in the Payload and Ground Systems Division Engineering organization supporting the Integrated National Systems (INS) Business Unit (BU) to support a Ground program.  This role will work with a dynamic team in Fairfax, VA, that supports programs related to space-based optical communications systems.

The Northrop Grumman Atmospheric Effects Group (AEG) has developed the Atmospheric Monitoring System (AMS) to provide situational awareness and short-term atmospheric predictions to inform space-to-ground optical communications demonstrations and missions. AMS is a TRL8 system composed of several atmospheric monitoring sensors that has been designed, deployed, and continuously improved over the last 9 years.

The position is to support the maturation and productization of the AMS hardware design to provide a self-contained, turn-key system to customers. The candidate will support a several multi-year programs and IRAD activities within the Space Sector.

The candidate will review the existing AMS design, develop ICDs (Interface Control Documents) and CAD drawings of the components, refine the power budgets of the components and overall system, and improve the design of a standard AMS platform for consistent deployment of AMS to locations in the field. This will include working with CONEX vendors to optimize the design of an AMS platform that can be attached to an existing standard CONEX and continue work in progress to develop a complete, off-the-grid AMS CONEX design including non-standard power options. The candidate will  lead the hardware assembly, integration, and testing of the AMS components prior to deployment and perform installations of AMS at locations both CONUS and OCONUS. The candidate must be a self-starter and comfortable working as a lead mechanical engineer in the design and deployment of AMS solutions. The candidate will have access to senior mechanical engineers on an as-needed basis only.

Job responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:        

• Development of ICDs

• Documentation of individual and total system power requirements

• Development of CAD models visualizing various design solutions

• Identification of gaps within the AMS design and/or requirements; provide a resolution that is cost effective and efficient

• Creation of detailed bill of materials (BOM) for hardware and systems

• Procurement of hardware in support of mechanical design changes

• Serve as the point of contact with vendors, manufacturers, and technician teams in the fabrication, assembly, and installation of test lab equipment

• Assembly, integration, and testing of AMS.  Implement proper cable routing, securing, and ruggedization techniques to ensure systems deployed are robust and suitable for long term exposure to driving wind, rain, and sunlight, i.e. use of cable strain relief techniques and products, UV resistant materials, etc.

• Deployment/installation of AMS at multiple Optical Ground Station (OGS) locations, CONUS and OCONUS

This position will be at our Fairfax, Virginia site.  This position requires being 100% onsite and does not support remote or hybrid work. 

This requisition may be filled at either a level 3 (Principal) or a level 4 (Sr Principal), depending on the candidate’s experience as laid out in the basic qualifications detailed below as well as the interview assessment.

Basic Qualifications

• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at the time of application

• Must have ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI and Special Access Program