Optical Engineer Senior Technical Specialist – Vencore – Reston, VA

Responsibilities:
Designs, develops and tests optical systems. Interacts with hardware and software design teams to assist in overall development of the optical systems. Tasks include specifying, selecting and qualifying active and passive optical components, developing and benchmarking system performance models, developing and implementing test procedures, and evaluating and selecting appropriate test instrumentation. Conducts research and plans development and design of gas and solid state lasers, masers, infrared, and other light emitting and light sensitive devices: Designs electronic circuitry and optical components with specific characteristics to fit within specified mechanical limits and to perform according to specifications. Designs suitable mounts for optics and power supply systems. Incorporates methods for maintenance and repair of components and designs, and develops test instrumentation and test procedures. Confers with engineering and technical personnel regarding fabrication and testing of prototype systems, and modifies design as required. May also conduct application analysis to determine commercial, industrial, scientific, medical, military, or other use for electro-optical devices. May also assist with development of manufacturing, assembly, and fabrication processes.

Responsibilities :

• Systems Engineering support, with specialty in communications engineering capable of providing end-to-end system performance analysis, trending and troubleshooting metrics.
• Candidate will perform optical and RF simulation and modeling tools for both linear and non-linear optical and RF analysis.
• Candidate will perform linear optical modeling using a tool of choice, and proficiency with VPI non-linear optical design software as it pertains to current and future optical telecommunications systems.
• Develop CONOPs, end-to-end system architectures, requirements, and related documentation.
• Support customer by ensuring that development personnel have a clear operational, technical, and functional context for hardware, software and procedures being developed.
• Ensure requirements comply with client requirements and government standards through formal verification methods.
• Assist in design reviews to ensure applicability to the current system and traceability of requirements through compliance verification and validation.
• Develop test plans and procedures that meet the objectives of the contractual requirements, and participate in the testing process to validate requirements.
• Work with government clients to assess system designs and plans.

Qualifications:
Requires 12 to 15 years with BS/BA or 10 to 13 years with MS/MA or 7 to 9 years with Ph.D.

The ideal candidate shall be an Electrical Engineer with experience in RF and optical system design and analysis (to include, signal analysis, interface, noise, sensitivity, link-budget and error analysis). Candidate should be capable of analyzing current and future technology trends in optical telecommunications, optical amplifiers, and photonics devices and demonstrated experience in presenting power and SNR link budgets and limitations of optical telecommunication systems.

Desired skills include the capability of leading technical groups and contributing to test plans, testing, and technical reviews to support the program lifecycle and it’s supporting engineering artifacts. Candidate should be qualified in CONOPS development, requirements decomposition, traceability and analysis.

Additionally, candidate should have the following qualifications:

• Ability to bridge the gaps between customer requirements, operational needs, and true technical capabilities to ensure mission success.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills to resolve technological problems.
• Demonstrated ability to document results and distribute information in a well-presented format.
• Proficient in the use of computers and office-related software, such as Microsoft Office products.
• Strong communication skills to interact with team members, customers, and support personnel.
• Ability to work independently and on a team.

Degree: BS Electrical Engineering or Physics, or similar, relevant engineering degree.

TS/SCI clearance with polygraph required.