Astronomical Instrumentation Engineer

Draper-1; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 156,000; Full time

Job summary

Draper, a premier nonprofit R&D organization in Cambridge, MA, is seeking a scientist/engineer with expertise in astronomy, optical engineering, or astrophysics to design, test, and integrate precision celestial instruments.

The role involves modeling, CAD/ray tracing, data reduction, and collaboration across engineering teams, with a requirement for a 3–5 year background in hardware instrument engineering and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or related fields.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Understanding of design, development and application of precision instruments.
• Understanding of fabrication processes for precision hardware.
• Strong math and physics foundations.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Applies technical knowledge to instrument domains and learns new skills.
• Analyzes requirements and develops precision instruments with minimal guidance.
• Designs experiments and hardware to test viable concepts.
• Collaborates to design and develop prototype and production hardware.
• Integrates instruments into larger systems to meet performance metrics.
• Drafts technical documents and testing results for approval.
• Provides training related to devices to staff and customers.
• Performs basic independent research and problem-solving.

Skills

Communication

Instruments design

Math & physics

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Applied Physics

Tools

MATLAB

CAD

FEA

Job description

Draper, a premier nonprofit R&D organization in Cambridge, MA, is seeking a scientist/engineer with expertise in astronomy, optical engineering, or astrophysics to design, test, and integrate precision celestial instruments.

The role involves modeling, CAD/ray tracing, data reduction, and collaboration across engineering teams, with a requirement for a 3–5 year background in hardware instrument engineering and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or related fields.