GNC Engineering Mgr 1 - Secret (Chandler)

Northrop Grumman; Chandler (AZ); On-site; USD 115,000 - 172,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Space Sector in Chandler, AZ is seeking a GN&C Manager – Level 1 to lead a first-line engineering team of 8–20 engineers on missile-based GN&C programs. This onsite role combines technical mentorship, people leadership, and accountability for execution of complex GN&C work.

The position follows a 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off and requires active Secret clearance, plus 5 years’ experience (or 3 with a Master’s).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of professional experience; or Master’s with 3 years; additional 4+ years in lieu of degree.
• Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at time of application.
• Experience leading engineering personnel and delivering technical work.
• GN&C experience for missile-based systems: guidance, autopilot/control, tracking or state estimation.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily execution for a GN&C engineering work group, aligning staffing, assignments, recruiting, retention, and development with program priorities.
• Provide performance management, coaching, mentoring, training, and career-development support for assigned engineers.
• Lead and technically mentor teams performing missile-based GN&C system development, including guidance, autopilot/control, tracking, state estimation, modeling, simulation, analysis, and verification.
• Manage delivery of complex GN&C tasks; establish priorities, resolve execution risks, and communicate results, tradeoffs, and recommendations to engineering and program leadership.
• Partner with systems, flight software, test, digital engineering, and program teams to integrate GN&C products and support verification campaigns.

Skills

GN&C leadership

Missile guidance

Autopilot/Control

State estimation

Staff management

Engineering mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree + 5 years

Master's degree + 3 years

4+ years experience in lieu of degree

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams.

As a Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) Manager – Level 1 located in Chandler, AZ, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.

This first-line engineering leader will support a group of approximately 8–20 GN&C engineers supporting multiple programs.

The role combines people leadership, technical mentorship, and direct accountability for execution of complex missile-system GN&C work.

This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.

In this job, you will:

• Lead daily execution for a GN&C engineering work group, aligning staffing, assignments, recruiting, retention, and development with program priorities.
• Provide performance management, coaching, mentoring, training, and career-development support for assigned engineers.
• Lead and technically mentor teams performing missile-based GN&C system development, including guidance, autopilot/control, tracking, state estimation, modeling, simulation, analysis, and verification.
• Manage delivery of complex GN&C tasks; establish priorities, resolve execution risks, and communicate results, tradeoffs, and recommendations to engineering and program leadership.
• Partner with systems, flight software, test, digital engineering, and program teams to integrate GN&C products and support verification campaigns.
• Support programs spanning advanced weapons, tactical strike systems, missile defense interceptors, and related space-flight applications.
• Build team integration during the first 6–12 months through clear operating rhythms, technical mentorship, and workforce-health actions.
• Act as a technical contributor, working directly with teams to define and assess navigation models and simulations, evaluate sensor and algorithm performance, support mission analysis, and shape verification approaches for critical programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of professional experience – OR – Master’s degree with 3 years of professional experience. Will consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of degree.
• Requires an active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope.
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, or directly managing engineering personnel and delivery of technical work.
• Demonstrated professional GN&C experience for missile-based systems, including meaningful depth in guidance, autopilot/control, and tracking or state estimation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading teams that develop, analyze, integrate, or verify missile-based guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) systems.
• Experience developing, evaluating, or integrating missile guidance algorithms, including midcourse, terminal, intercept, trajectory-shaping, and/or target-engagement guidance functions.
• Experience designing, analyzing, and verifying missile autopilots and control laws, including stability, robustness, gain scheduling, actuator dynamics, vehicle dynamics, and flight-software integration.
• Experience with seeker tracking and target-state estimation using infrared (IR) and/or radio-frequency (RF) sensor systems, including sensor modeling, measurement processing, filtering, track formation and maintenance, and uncertainty characterization.
• Experience with navigation models and simulations, sensor and algorithm performance assessment, mission analysis, and verification approaches.
• Experience integrating GN&C analysis products with flight software, digital-engineering environments, test organizations, and verification campaigns.
• Experience supporting advanced weapons, tactical strike systems, interceptor programs, missile-defense applications, and/or space-flight systems.
• Experience operating in low-altitude, high-speed, high-dynamic, glide-phase, degraded-GPS, or other challenging flight environments.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical results, program risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations to engineering and program stakeholders.

As a leader with integrity, you ensure ethical conduct, balanced results, and partner satisfaction. You respect and nurture growth, fostering a culture of excellence. Skilled in building collaborative teams and customer trust, you communicate well, foster strong teams, and embrace change.

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life.

For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.

Northrop Grumman Total Rewards

Primary Level Salary Range: $114,900.00 - $172,300.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO.

U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.