Opto-Mechanical Engineer

FTS International, LLC; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Paid Time Off

Life Insurance

Short Term Disability

Long Term Disability

Retirement and Savings

Learning and Development opportunities

Wellness programs

Job summary

FTS International, LLC in Chantilly, VA seeks an Opto-Mechanical Engineer to provide technical expertise for development, integration, and sustainment of advanced space-based optical payloads and telescope systems.

You will mature telescope technologies, coordinate multi-vendor interfaces, and act as a liaison between government stakeholders and industry partners. The role requires a TS/SCI with polygraph and a strong systems engineering background.

Qualifications

• TS/SCI with polygraph is required.
• BS STEM in engineering discipline is required.
• 9+ years of experience in optical systems, telescope development, or related fields.
• Experience with optical payloads, telescope systems, and space-based imaging.
• Knowledge of systems engineering, interface management, and integration.
• Experience supporting technical reviews and cross-organization coordination.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate across diverse engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Support maturation of telescope technologies and cross-vendor interfaces.
• Transfer knowledge on optical systems and opto-mechanical architectures.
• Serve as liaison between government stakeholders and vendors.
• Coordinate telescope interface requirements across multiple vendors.
• Evaluate interface recommendations and design feedback to reduce NRE costs.
• Maintain telescope interface definitions, standards, and baselines.
• Participate in design reviews and engineering assessments.
• Support integration planning for telescope assemblies and spacecraft interfaces.
• Identify opportunities for modular designs and standardized interfaces.
• Assess emerging optical technologies and transition opportunities.
• Coordinate activities among vendors, government teams, and engineering groups.
• Support risk assessments, trade studies, and analyses for telescope integration.
• Develop technical documentation and executive-level briefings.

Skills

TS/SCI with polygraph

9+ years experience

Optical systems experience

Systems engineering

Interface management

Technical reviews

Communication skills

Collaboration across teams

Education

BS STEM in engineering

MS STEM in engineering

Tools

ICDs

Job description

FTS International, LLC (FTS) is committed to providing the Federal Government with quality consultants and support. To ensure mission success we focus on putting our customers first while minimizing corporate bureaucracy on our staff. We provide Subject Matter Experts (SME) free of Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) focused on independent analysis and mission support services within the disciplines of Engineering, Counter Terrorism Operations, Management, Information Technology, Signals Analysis, Administration, Cyber Security and Linguistics.

FTS has an opportunity for an Opto-Mechanical Engineer in Chantilly, VA.

The Opto-Mechanical Engineer provides technical expertise and systems engineering support for the development, integration, and sustainment of advanced space-based optical payloads and telescope systems.

Responsibilities

• Support the maturation of advanced telescope technologies, manage cross-vendor interface coordination efforts, and contribute to the development of common engineering approaches that enhance interchangeability across future spacecraft builds
• Facilitate the transfer of knowledge related to advanced telescope technologies, optical systems, and opto-mechanical architectures between government organizations and industry partners
• Serve as a technical liaison between government stakeholders and telescope vendors to ensure effective communication, collaboration, and alignment of engineering objectives
• Manage and coordinate telescope interface requirements across multiple industry vendors to maximize component and subsystem interchangeability for future spacecraft developments
• Evaluate and adjudicate interface recommendations, technical trades, and design feedback from industry partners to reduce non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs and improve future integration efficiency
• Support the development, maintenance, and configuration management of telescope interface definitions, technical standards, and engineering baselines
• Participate in opto-mechanical design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and engineering assessments throughout the system lifecycle
• Support integration planning activities for telescope assemblies, optical payloads, and spacecraft interfaces
• Collaborate with government and industry teams to identify opportunities for common architectures, modular designs, and standardized interfaces that improve mission flexibility and acquisition efficiency
• Contribute to technology maturation efforts by assessing emerging optical technologies, evaluating readiness levels, and identifying transition opportunities into future programs
• Coordinate technical activities among multiple vendors, government organizations, and engineering teams to support schedule, performance, and mission objectives
• Support risk assessments, trade studies, and engineering analyses associated with telescope integration and performance
• Develop technical documentation, interface control products, engineering recommendations, and executive-level briefings to support program decision-making

Required Skills/Qualifications

• TS/SCI with polygraph
• BS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) in engineering discipline
• 9+ years of experience supporting optical systems, telescope development, spacecraft payloads, opto-mechanical engineering, systems engineering, or aerospace programs
• Experience working with optical payloads, telescope systems, precision mechanical systems, or space-based imaging technologies
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles, interface management processes, and integration activities
• Experience supporting technical reviews, design assessments, and engineering coordination across multiple organizations
• Ability to evaluate technical tradeoffs and develop recommendations that balance performance, risk, schedule, and cost considerations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting technical information to government and industry stakeholders
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across diverse engineering teams and organizations

Desired Skills/Qualifications

• MS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) in engineering discipline
• Familiarity with optical payload integration, telescope manufacturing processes, precision alignment techniques, and environmental testing
• Experience with Interface Control Documents (ICDs), requirements management, and configuration control processes
• Knowledge of optical performance modeling, structural analysis, thermal analysis, or optical system design principles
• Experience supporting vendor management, technical interchange meetings, and government-industry partnerships
• Familiarity with technology readiness assessments, acquisition planning, and transition of emerging technologies into operational programs
• Experience supporting multi-vendor development environments and complex spacecraft integration efforts

Expected Salary Range:

$149,000 - $170,000 per year. Placement within the range is determined by qualifications, job-related criteria, experience, internal equity and market considerations. In addition, FTS International, LLC has benefits offerings in addition to salary to include Health Insurance, Paid Time Off, Life Insurance, Short Term and Long-Term Disability, Retirement and Savings, Learning and Development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections.

FTS International, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer - vets/disabled.