Optical Technician 3 (Precision Glass Polishing & Optics)

Details

2097

Optical Technician 3

1

Woodland Hills, CA (21240 Burbank Blvd, Building 31)

100% Onsite (Optics & Polishing Shop)

Contract Only (6-Month Contract: Oct 26, 2026 Apr 23, 2027)

9/80A (Every other Friday off

Required

Not Required

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is seeking a skilled and meticulous Optical Technician 3 to support precision optical manufacturing operations at our Woodland Hills, California facility.

Operating inside a specialized optics and glass precision polishing facility, you will set up and operate high-precision polishing machinery to manufacture custom optical components to ultra-tight tolerances. This position calls for excellent visual acuity (including microscope work), precision metrology experience, and the discipline to adhere strictly to aerospace-grade manufacturing sequences.

• Precision Polishing Operations: Set up and run single/double-sided and specialized polishing machines to manufacture precision glass and optical surfaces meeting exacting dimensional, angular, flatness, and surface-finish specifications.

• Super-Polishing: Execute advanced super-polishing processes on precision glass and optical substrates according to stringent customer blueprints and engineering standards.

• Tooling & Fixture Setup: Select, mount, align, and dress specialized tooling, pitch/pad polishing laps, and machine attachments.

• In-Process Metrology & Inspection: Verify part geometry, surface roughness, and optical accuracy using high-precision instruments including interferometers (Zygo/Fizeau), autocollimators, digital indicators, spherometers, and optical microscopes .

• Blueprints & Math Calculations: Read and interpret optical blueprints, engineering drawings, and work instructions; perform shop math and trigonometry for angles, sagitta, and fringe evaluations.

• Quality Assurance & SPC: Log inspection data and track product conformance utilizing Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods and shop ERP tracking systems.

• Process Optimization: Collaborate with optical and manufacturing engineers on troubleshooting investigations, yields, and continuous polishing process improvements.

• Shop Maintenance & Safety: Maintain polishing slurries, condition polishing tables/plates, and adhere to strict clean/safe shop operating practices around heavy machinery.

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent.

• 5+ years of hands-on experience operating in a precision optics shop or precision glass polishing manufacturing environment.

• Proven ability to interpret complex optical engineering drawings and work instructions.

• Direct hands-on experience utilizing optical metrology instruments, specifically:

  • Interferometers (measuring transmitted/reflected wavefront, surface flatness/fringes)

  • Autocollimators (measuring wedge, angular tolerances, parallelism)

  • Digital indicators, micrometers, and calipers

• Exceptional visual acuity and fine-motor coordination to conduct detailed inspections under high-magnification microscopes.

• Working knowledge of basic shop math and standard computer tools (MS Office, shop floor ERP systems).

• Physical ability to stand, move, and work around machinery for extended periods of the workday.

• U.S. Citizenship is strictly required.

• Experience conditioning, grooving, and maintaining pitch or polyurethane polishing pads/tables to achieve sub-angstrom/super-polished finishes.

• Familiarity with Statistical Process Control (SPC) charting and Lean Manufacturing / 5S principles.

• Prior experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability optical fabrication.