Principal Mechanical Engineer (*Active DoD 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.

The Payload and Ground Systems, a division within Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is known for pushing the boundaries of innovation, redefining engineering capabilities, and driving advances in various sciences through cutting-edge technology.  Our team is chartered with providing the skills, and innovative technologies to develop, design, produce, and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Be a part of our mission!

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to join 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 Lasercom Atmospheric Monitoring and Prediction System (LAMPS) to provide situational awareness and short-term atmospheric predictions to inform space-to-ground optical communications demonstrations and missions. LAMPS is a TRL9 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 LAMPS hardware design to provide a self-contained, turn-key system to customers. The candidate will support a new multi-year program and IRAD activities within the Space Sector.

The candidate will review the existing LAMPS design, develop ICDs (Interface Control Documents) and CAD drawings of the components, document the power budgets of the components and the system, and design a standard platform for consistent deployment of LAMPS to locations in the field. This will include working with CONEX vendors to optimize the design of a LAMPS platform that is attached to an existing CONEX and potentially a complete, off-the-grid LAMPS CONEX design including non-standard power options. The candidate will also lead the hardware assembly, integration, and testing of the LAMPS components prior to deployment and perform installations of LAMPS at locations both CONUS and OCONUS.

Key responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Development of ICDs

• Documentation of individual and total system power requirements

• Development of CAD models visualizing various design solutions

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

• 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 LAMPS.  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 LAMPS at multiple Optical Ground Station (OGS) locations, CONUS and OCONUS

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

Basic Qualifications

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

• Must have a completed STEM degree with below years of experience in systems engineering [a degree in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics]

  • 5 Years of relevant experience with a completed Bachelor's (STEM)

  • 3 Years of relevant experience with a completed Masters's (STEM)

  • 1 Years of relevant experience with a completed Ph.D. (STE