Machine Perception (MP) Optical Engineer – Level 4

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
CLEARANCE TYPE: None
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.

Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a Machine Perception (MP) Optical Engineer – Level 4 located in Dulles, VA, or Gilbert, AZ, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.

This role will support our Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) department, located in Dulles, VA, or Gilbert, AZ.

Space Systems is designing, building, and testing spacecraft for DoD, NASA, and commercial customers. We are leaders in innovative solutions to the evolving fields of space-based autonomous rendezvous and docking and rapid design/production of small satellites. We are seeking highly talented and ambitious engineers with backgrounds in Machine Perception, including Computer Vision (CV), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML). Experience and/or education in spacecraft navigation, robotics, and/or embedded processing is preferred.

This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

The MP engineer will work within the GNC subsystem team and is expected to:

• Design, integrate, and validate precision actuator-driver position systems for optical test and calibration
• Develop and maintain software interfaces between camera hardware SDKs/DLLs and C++/C#/Matlab, enabling synchronized image acquisition with actuator motion
• Assist in characterize and calibrate camera/optical system performance (PSF, MTF, distortion, FOV) using custom or COTS test benches
• Implement closed-loop and coordinated multi-axis motion control schemes, including coarse/fine position architectures
• Develop motion planning routines (scan patterns, trajectory generation) to support test cell or hardware in the loop (HITL) demonstrations
• Support system-level test architectures, including HIL setups simulating long-range or dynamic scenarios
• Document test procedures, calibration results, and system performance for engineering review
• Collaborate with senior engineers across optics, controls, and software disciplines to mature system designs

If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!

This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company.

Basic Qualifications for Level 4:

• Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of professional experience – OR – Master’s degree with 6 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 3 years of professional experience. (Degree must be in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Optical Engineering, or a related field)
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top-Secret security clearance. US citizenship
• Interest or experience integrating actuators/motion controllers into test or measurement systems (open-loop and closed-loop)
• Experience interfacing vendor hardware SDKs/DLLs with MATLAB or C++ (e.g., MEX, loadlibrary/calllib, .NET interop)
• Working knowledge of camera optics fundamentals (focal length, pixel pitch, FOV)
• Proficiency in C/C++ or C# and Matlab
• Some experience with control systems concepts (PID, feedforward control) as applied to positioning systems
• Strong problem-solving skills and interest in hands-on hardware integration work

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active/Current Top Secret
• MS or PhD degree in engineering, physics, or math
• Experience with computer vision / image processing algorithm development
• Background in EO/IR sensor systems or space/defense optical payloads
• Familiarity with communication protocols for motion controllers (Serial, GPIB, USB, EtherCAT)
• Strong foundation in numerical methods and linear algebra (e.g. optimization, state estimation, coordinate transformations, numerical solvers)
• Exposure to realistic scene generation/rendering (e.g., physically-based rendering, synthetic sensor imagery, simulation environments)
• GPU programming experience (e.g., CUDA, OpenCL, shader-based pipelines) for real time rendering or accelerated image processing.

Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:

https://www.northropgrumman.com/space

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.

Northrop Grumman Total Rewards

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Primary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $213,400.00
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.