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Aerospace

Optical Communications Engineer

El Segundo, CA

In an era of dynamic change in space, Aerospace is addressing a generation of complex challenges. We operate the only federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) committed exclusively to the space enterprise. Our technical experts span every discipline of space-related science and engineering. Join our team and thrive in a career that matters to the world and you personally.

Responsibilities

We are seeking Optical Communications engineers. These positions are in El Segundo, CA supporting a wide variety of Government customers and organizations. We provide systems engineering, analysis, modeling, simulation and hardware engineering support. These positions will be responsible for providing support in one or more of the areas of support.

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When you join our Optical Communications Office, you become part of a dedicated groups of Optical Communications systems engineers and hardware specialists who play a key role in guiding and strengthening the future of our National Security Space Optical Communications capabilities. Our unique positions as consultant to our customers allows you to have an immediate and significant impact in driving national technical directions and decisions. The knowledge brought to bear on these challenges is backed by your optical communications systems engineering, modeling, simulation and/or hardware engineering efforts and validated in our growing optical communications laboratory. Let's link up! Selected candidates provide professional engineering/scientific support in the field of laser communications (lasercom) to research and development engineering, systems engineering, project engineering, or technology functions/ organizations. Work with both internal and external customers and with technical support, as a technical authority, consultant, primary investigator, or project leader. May lead or organize technical efforts or project teams. Interfaces between customers and Aerospace technical and management staff.

Key Functions

  • Plans and conducts work requiring judgment in the independent evaluation, selection and adaptation/modification of a variety of techniques, procedures and criteria.
  • Devises new approaches to problems encountered in lasercom activities.
  • Provides inter-organizational and outside customer contacts on matters related to lasercom.
  • Conducts specialized technical studies and reports findings.
  • Coordinates specific technical assignments for designated discipline or organizations.
  • Provides technical advice to management, customers, and associate contractors.
  • Initiates development of advanced analytical techniques, concepts, and/or design criteria for subsystems.
  • May lead project teams within a department. Supports multiple programs and/or activities and frequently acts as point-of-contact for technical activities.
  • Participates in lasercom system validation and verification activities which may include modeling & simulation and/or testing
  • Participates in development of program interfaces between lasercom hardware and computer systems; diagnoses both hardware and software simulation tool problems; designs improvements to simulation environments; develops and/or revises programs for data reduction and analysis.

This role can be filled as an Aerospace Senior Member of Technical Staff or Engineering Specialist

Qualifications

Required
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Sciences, or another related technical field from an accredited university
  • 5 or more years of experience in roles of increasing responsibility in engineering/scientific areas related to optical communications, satellites, and/or space systems engineering
  • Ability to solve technical problems related to lasercom
  • Experience working with internal or external customers
  • Experience with software tools including Matlab, Python, or C/C++
  • Ability to present results effectively in briefings and technical reports
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience with lasers or optical amplifiers
  • Experience with photonic detectors and understanding of photodetection and receiver technologies
  • Understanding of optical signal modulation and experience with optical modulators
  • Ability to conduct laboratory testing or advanced modeling and simulation involving photonics and electronics
  • This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SSBI security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. Government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain this level of security clearance

Preferred
  • Familiarity with systems engineering related to communications and/or optical systems
  • Understanding of pointing, acquisition and tracking requirements for lasercom
  • Understanding of the fundamentals of information theory and its application to digital communications
  • Familiarity with photonic detectors and optical communications receiver technologies
  • Experience working in a laboratory environment with photonic and electronic components and instruments
  • Current Secret or Top Secret clearance with SSBI or periodic reinvestigation completed within the last 5 years that resulted in clearance granted or maintained

Qualifications

Required for consideration as an Engineering Specialist
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Sciences, or another related technical field from an accredited university
  • 8 or more years of experience in roles of increasing responsibility in engineering/scientific areas related to optical communications, satellites, and/or space systems engineering
  • Exhibits high level of innovation, creativeness, and initiative
  • Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with customers
  • Recognition from peers and external customers for technical contributions related to satellite communications and/or optical communications
  • Experience developing specialized software tools for use in communications systems and/or optical systems analysis
  • Demonstrated ability to present results in formal briefings to internal or external customers
  • Experience documenting results and contributing to deliverable technical reports
  • Demonstrated ability to develop designs or requirements for laser transmitters
  • Experience developing designs or requirements for optical detectors/receivers
  • Experience implementing and characterizing performance of a variety of optical modulation formats
  • Demonstrated ability to devise and implement photonic testing programs to characterize system, subsystem, unit or component performance
  • This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SSBI security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. Government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain this level of security clearance

Preferred
  • Master's or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Sciences, or another related technical field from an accredited university
  • Experience applying systems engineering to satellite communications and/or optical systems
  • Ability to derive lasercom pointing, acquisition and tracking requirements
  • Experience with optical communication system requirements definition, validation and verification related to modulation and coding
  • Ability to support trade studies related to optical communications receiver designs
  • Experience developing test methodology and implementing testing of lasercom related hardware
  • Experience developing specialized software tools in programming languages such as Matlab, Python, C++ or other used in lasercom related activities
  • Current Secret or Top Secret clearance with SSBI or periodic reinvestigation completed within the last 5 years that resulted in clearance granted or maintained

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion,genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you're an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email atieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also reviewThe Equal Employment Opportunity is the Lawposter andthe supplement, as well as thePay Transparency Policy Statement.

Job ID: Aerospace-R000078
Employment Type: Other

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