Senior Opto-Mechanical Engineer: Space Telescopes & Payloads

International Executive Service Corps; 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 and Long Term Disability

Retirement and Savings

Learning and Development opportunities

Wellness programs

Other optional benefit elections

Job summary

FTS International, LLC (FTS) invites an experienced Opto-Mechanical Engineer to support development, integration, and sustainment of space-based optical payloads and telescope systems in Chantilly, VA.

You will provide technical expertise, engage with government stakeholders, and coordinate across vendors to ensure interoperability and mission success across spacecraft builds. This role emphasizes system engineering, interface management, and cross-organizational collaboration.

Qualifications

• TS/SCI with polygraph clearance required.
• BS STEM in engineering discipline required.
• 9+ years of experience in optical systems, telescope development, spacecraft payloads, opto-mechanical engineering, systems engineering, or aerospace programs.
• Experience 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 balancing performance, risk, schedule, and cost.
• Strong written and verbal communication with government and industry stakeholders.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across diverse engineering teams and organizations.

Responsibilities

• Support maturation of advanced telescope technologies and cross-vendor coordination.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer on telescope technologies between government and industry partners.
• Serve as technical liaison between government stakeholders and telescope vendors.
• Coordinate telescope interface requirements across multiple vendors.
• Evaluate interface recommendations, trade studies, and design feedback to reduce NRE costs.
• Maintain telescope interface definitions, technical standards, and baselines.
• Participate in design reviews, TI meetings, and engineering assessments throughout the lifecycle.
• Support integration planning for telescope assemblies and spacecraft interfaces.
• Identify opportunities for common architectures and standardized interfaces.
• Assess emerging optical technologies and transition opportunities into programs.
• Coordinate technical activities among vendors, government, and engineering teams.
• Support risk assessments and engineering analyses for telescope integration.
• Develop technical documentation and executive-level briefings for decisions.

Skills

TS/SCI with polygraph

Systems engineering principles

Interface management

Technical reviews coordination

Written and verbal communication

Cross-organizational collaboration

Education

BS STEM in engineering discipline

MS STEM in engineering discipline

Job description

FTS International, LLC (FTS) invites an experienced Opto-Mechanical Engineer to support development, integration, and sustainment of space-based optical payloads and telescope systems in Chantilly, VA.

You will provide technical expertise, engage with government stakeholders, and coordinate across vendors to ensure interoperability and mission success across spacecraft builds. This role emphasizes system engineering, interface management, and cross-organizational collaboration.