Job Description:

AOA Xinetics (AOX), a wholly-owned Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Payload and Ground Systems Division Business Venture, is a leading supplier of complex electro-optic and photonic systems and subsystems that control and manipulate light waves for a variety of applications. Our talented team of engineers, managers and technologists conceive, design, develop and manufacture high precision products in an environment that requires significant collaboration and team work among multiple engineering disciplines.

AOX is an end-to-end engineering company that creates solutions, puts them into practice, and manufactures them. We develop solutions to some of the nation's hardest technical challenges leveraging advanced technical capabilities in optical, mechanical, software, electronics controls, systems, test and manufacturing engineering to perform applied research, engineering development, and precision manufacturing.

Additionally, AOX excels in a range of applications from adaptive optical systems, deformable mirrors, wavefront sensors, and sub-nanometer precision actuators to photonic systems that acquire and process data in real time for a variety of high-availability applications. AOX's market offerings include lightweight passive and active CERAFORM™ and CERAPRINT™ silicon carbide (SiC) optics and precision structures as well as large and small precision opto-mechanical systems supporting electronics and sophisticated controls software.

We are one of eight wholly owned Northrop Grumman Strategic Business Ventures
https://www.northropgrumman.com/who-we-are/business-ventures

The Principal Optical Engineer will perform as a member of an interdisciplinary team of engineers and scientists on different project assignments to develop novel and innovative solutions to advanced technical problems. You will conduct research and development into physical optics, lasers, and advanced optical communications systems. You will design, develop, build and test systems and products based on optic, photonic and laser technologies. Additionally, you will develop mathematical models for simulation and analysis of optical and electro-optical systems. The successful engineer will be responsible for the overall development of optical systems, including: specifying, selecting and qualifying active and passive optical components, developing and benchmarking system performance models, and implementing test procedures.

Responsibilities include:

• Design and analyze optical components and subsystems
• Specify optical components for fabrication by Qualified Suppliers
• Develop test plans and perform testing of fiber optic components and subsystems
• Contribute to the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems
• Design micro-optical systems for fiber-optic applications
• Perform testing on optical assemblies and photonic systems
• Document designs and test results
• Present results to customers
• Lead teams of engineers and technicians in the pursuit of program goals, and complete tasks according to schedule, budget and design objectives
• Additional responsibilities include support of proposal teams, and working with customers on product definition

Qualifications:




Basic Qualifications:

• BS in Physics or Optics with 7-9 years' experience, or 3+ years' experience with a MS in Physics or Optics
• Hands-on skills for assembly and testing of designs
• Experience with precision optical, micro-optic and/or fiber optic communication components
• Experience with optical instrumentation, such as optical spectrum analyzers, laser sources and power meters.
• Understanding of fiber optic transmission, communication theory, advanced optical signal coding and modulation formats, and network architecture
• Knowledge and experience with fiber optic systems and components, such as lasers, modulators, EDFAs, dispersion compensators, fibers, passive components, receivers, and high-speed optical modules and sub-systems
• Great problem solving and troubleshooting skills
• Good verbal and written communications skills for presentation of technical approaches, work performed, results, and findings
• US Citizenship is a bona fide requirement as Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information
• Active Top Secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in DoD, or Aerospace product development and manufacturing
  modulation formats
• Understanding of fiber optic transmission, communication theory, advanced optical signal coding and, and network architecture
• Experience with commercial optical transport products, including 40G/100G coherent systems
• Experience with transmission modeling software (such as VPI)
• Knowledge of computer instrumentation control
• Knowledge of LabVIEW, MATLAB and Python programming languages
• Knowledge of Zemax optical design software

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions. Apply Now