EO/IR Systems Engineer

Long Wall Company was created in 2025 to accelerate missile defense technology for the U.S. and our allies. Building on the RS1 and GS0 launch systems, Long Wall develops containerized, mass-producible missile defense systems and offers rapid, low-cost flight testing. We believe that the future of global security and stability require defensive technology that is lower cost, higher performing, better tested, and more broadly distributed than is possible today. Join us.

What we look for
Mission-Driven Problem Solvers. The aerospace frontier demands ingenuity. We want engineers who approach challenges with curiosity, embrace failure as a learning opportunity, and stay focused on delivering the best solution for the mission.

Total Ownership. We seek engineers who take full responsibility for delivering flight-ready work while recognizing that no one succeeds alone. The best engineers make their teammates better, knowing that complementary skills create force multiplication and drive mission success.

As an EO/IR Systems Engineer, you will own the design and development of optical sensing systems that enable our missile defense technologies. Working as part of a small, highly integrated product team, you will lead efforts from early architecture and trades through to detailed design, prototyping, and test. Your work will directly shape seeker and sensor performance on systems where every decision matters.

This is a hands-on, end-to-end role where you’ll apply first principles thinking to design optics, model sensor performance, and support the integration of those designs into real-world hardware. You’ll define test strategies; help build test infrastructure and validate systems under realistic conditions. You won’t just advise on technical direction—you’ll build it. This is a role that contributes to every mission and every flight we fly as we continue to reimagine the future of missile defense systems.

Responsibilities:
• Design and develop EO/IR sensor systems
• Drive system-level architecture and component trade studies, including make/buy decisions
• Perform and develop tooling for first principles calculations to inform design decisions and predict performance
• Model optical systems and sensor behavior using industry standard modeling software packages
• Define test requirements and support the development of lab setups
• Work cross functionally with electrical, mechanical, and software domains
• Create and present internal technical documentation that clearly conveys design intent, adherence to standards, requirements, and specifications

Basic Qualifications:
• For a Level III Engineer:
• Degree in (or related to) one of the following fields:
• aerospace engineering, optical engineering, electrical engineering, physics or a related field.
• And one of the following combinations of minimum education and years of experience in electro-optical or infrared sensor system design and analysis.
• Bachelor’s degree AND minimum of 5 years of related experience
• Master’s degree AND minimum of 3 years of related experience
• PhD AND minimum of 1 year of related experience.

Preferred Skills and Experience:
• M.S. or Ph. D. in a relevant technical field
• Solid foundation in optics, imaging systems, and sensor physics
• Proficiency with modeling and analysis tools such as Matlab, Python, MODTRAN
• Ability to perform and communicate first-principles analysis
• Experience with seeker systems, imaging sensors, or optical payloads in aerospace or defense applications
• Familiarity with opto-mechanical packaging including alignment, lens mounting, and tolerance analysis
• Experience with CAD tools and their integration into optical system design
• Experience developing and supporting test setups for optical and sensor system validation

Additional Requirements::
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time
• Ability to use a computer to complete assignments
• Ability to communicate with individuals and groups in person, by phone and telepresence
• Ability to pick up to 50lbs
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will typically work in an office environment
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

ITAR Requirement
This position requires access to information protected under US export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and/or the Export Administration Regulations. As such, US person status (including US citizens, U.S. permanent residents, individuals granted U.S. asylum status, or individuals admitted in U.S. refugee status) is a required qualification for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, genetics, or citizenship status (when otherwise legally authorized to work and access export-controlled data) and will not be discriminated against on the basis of such characteristics or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We encourage applicants of all ages.