Senior Principal Mechanical Design Engineer - Special Programs East Hartford CT

Adaptive Optics Associates - Xinetics (AOX), a wholly-owned Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Payload and Ground Systems Division Business Venture, is currently seeking a Senior Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to support our Special Programs business activities in East Hartford CT.

AOA Xinetics designs, develops, and manufactures precision, advanced optical products and systems for the U.S. Government, commercial customers, and U.S. defense prime and second-tier contractors.

AOX delivers industrial photonics systems and development services for a variety of customers and applications. AOX excels in a range of applications from adaptive optical systems, deformable mirrors, wavefront sensors, precision actuators, to photonic systems that acquire and process data in real time for a variety of high availability applications. AOX's capabilities include lightweight passive and active hybrid CERAFORM silicon carbide optics and precision structures as well as large and small precision opto-mechanical systems supporting electronics and sophisticated controls software.

Overview

Reporting to the Special Programs Mechanical Engineering Manager, the Senior Principal Mechanical Design Engineer will perform design and analysis for optical systems, tooling, and test equipment, leading engineering design efforts of complex electro-optical and opto-mechanical systems, designing hardware that satisfies system requirements, documenting design approaches, detailing parts and assembly drawings to support the development, manufacture, and test of optical systems. Additional expectations include support to new business opportunities and active leadership and development of junior engineers, designers and technicians.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Perform mechanical design on multiple projects through all phases of development and manufacturing
• Create part and assembly models, detailed drawings and associated parts lists, in accordance with AMSE Y14.5 and AOX drawing standards
• Conduct peer reviews of other engineer's work products
• Execute new designs with a focus on DFM
• Perform analysis of mechanisms, detailed geometric tolerances, and manufacturability
• Support transition to production and manufacturing engineering
• Provide technical solutions to complex problems which require regular use of technical acumen, ingenuity and creativity
• Perform trade studies, design of experiments, assembly and testing of parts, components, and assemblies
• Provide technical content for proposals, estimate and track mechanical design costs, create schedule estimates, and make presentations to customers and company management

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• 10 or more years of mechanical design, development, analysis and FEA experience working in a collaborative, highly technical multi-disciplined engineering work environment
• Analytical problem solver with technical lead abilities; results and deadline driven; excellent oral and written communication skills including presentation skills; technical influencer
• Proficient MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint software
• Intermediate-Advanced SolidWorks (or equivalent) software skills
• US Citizenship is a requirement for employment
• Active TS/SCI Clearance required to start

• Master's Degree plus 8 years mechanical design experience
• Experience working with micro or small precision form factor mechanisms; opto-mechanical designs; optical assembly, interferometer and alignment, test equipment and tools

• Travel to customer site as required (10%)
• Ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of times and light physical effort as required