Optical Engineer

** Description*
* SAIC is seeking a senior Multi-Disciplinary Optical  Engineer to join the Space and Intelligence Business Group. You would work on a joint Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) crown jewel program providing highly specialized space/counter-space engineering, scientific, and analytical services from Aurora/Denver, Colorado. We support the Nation's leading-edge IC and DoD space programs and offer compelling, deep-technical work that has direct influence and impact on program development and operations.

Our team has Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across a variety of disciplines, including physics, math, RF, optics, space acquisition and operations, and intelligence collection and analysis.

The Senior Optical Project Engineer will work in a collaborative team-focused environment of U.S. Government civilians and contractors solving applied technical problems and developing usable solutions for multiple space-related capabilities and threats. The ideal candidate will:

Have knowledge and experience with the performance of:

-    Ground or space-based optical or laser systems, the fields of photonics or optoelectronics, space object optical characterization, or optical data processing techniques

-    Optical systems in Space Domain Awareness (SDA) applications

-    Be able to lead, track, and status projects for a small team of optical engineers focused on program-specific analysis, foreign threat capabilities and development, and phenomenology research

-    Have experience generating new satellite models or adapting existing mission partner models for on-orbit simulation scenarios

-    Be fluent with the synthesis and application of space object optical signatures, electro-optical

-    (EO) sensor models, lighting and environmental effects to simulate the space object detection, feature discrimination, and/or characterization by space domain awareness (SDA) systems

-    Be able to design, develop, and quantify results for satellite simulations that accurately represent the system state and have familiarity with post-processing techniques of optical sensor data that extract additional insights or translate the data into operationally relevant information

-    Possess knowledge of optical systems and their use in SDA

-    Have experience with modeling and simulation of optical and laser systems such as LEEDR, Hard Shell or Helios

-    Be motivated by problem solving and developing a range of solutions, over system development

This position qualifies for enhanced benefits.

** Duties and responsibilities include:*
* -    Lead a team of optical engineers and analysts in Perform program-specific analyses, understand foreign threat capabilities and development, and conduct optical and laser phenomenology research

-    Perform rapid prototyping of optical modeling and simulation tools of various fidelities

-    Designing and editing satellite models and optical simulations to inform analyses and trade studies related to operational scenarios

-    Developing estimates of space object optical signatures using physics-based methods or via similarity to existing data

-    Developing and refining innovative concepts for space laser systems and architectures, knowledge of advanced engineering principles and state-of-the-art technology.

-    System CONOPS, considering operational trade-offs, environmental effects, and mission requirements

-    Conducting detailed assessments and analysis of space laser system performance, focusing on rigorous link budget modeling, system efficiencies, and platform-specific trade-offs.

-    Ability to conduct link budget analysis, considering various system and operational parameters. Evaluate the impacts of different modulation techniques, laser architectures, and photonics technologies on overall system performance.

-    Simulating SDA data of space objects that represent the sensor system's spatial, spectral, and other capabilities under representative seeing conditions

-    Quantifying impacts and sensitivity to changes in Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), scenarios and/or threats

-    Developing and briefing analytical results for stand-alone and broader…