Senior Staff Chief Engineer - Future Aircraft

Northrop Grumman; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 193,000 - 289,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Senior Staff Chief Engineer in the Aeronautics Systems – Research & Advanced Design unit, based in Redondo Beach or El Segundo, CA. The role leads technical direction for the Advanced Aircraft Operating Unit and interfaces with customers and senior leadership to drive next-generation air vehicles.

The ideal candidate has a STEM PhD/MS/BS with extensive experience in aircraft design, integration across disciplines, and the ability to obtain required clearances,

Qualifications

• BS in STEM with 14+ years related professional/military experience; OR MS in STEM with 12+ years; OR PhD in STEM with 8+ years.
• Experience in air vehicle conceptual design, vehicle tech development and demonstration, or aircraft prototype development and experimental testing.
• Experience integrating multiple engineering disciplines and working across business units, with industry partners and customer community.
• Active US Government Secret clearance or higher (BI within last 6 years or Continuous Evaluation).
• Ability to obtain SAP and TS/SCI clearance and travel up to 25%.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority for the OU and provide technical direction to funded and contracted activities.
• Coordinate technical requirements and ensure horizontal integration across projects.
• Interface with the customer and company senior leadership as the principal technical liaison.
• Ensure programs adhere to engineering principles and company policies and standards.
• Oversee and ensure technical performance measures are met by the Engineering team within cost and schedule constraints.
• Chair the Technical Review Board (TRB).
• Support program managers in risk and opportunity management by identifying and owning risks.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to staff in applying systems engineering principles.

Skills

Technical leadership

Systems engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk management

Customer interface

Education

Bachelor of Science in STEM

Master of Science in STEM

Ph.D. in STEM

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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.

Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems – Research & Advanced Design (R&AD) transforms breakthrough ideas into mission-ready capabilities through intelligent anticipation. We’re the front-end design engine, defining what comes next. From developing cutting-edge next-generation future aircraft to trailblazing collaborative autonomous platforms, we push the boundaries of technology and forge industry‑leading partnerships that set new standards for what’s possible.

Our team owns the full lifecycle of advanced concept creation, from visionary early‑stage designs and rapid prototyping to high‑impact demonstrations and solving the toughest technical challenges in survivability, autonomy, and battle management. We seek curious, adaptable people who thrive on turning intuition into breakthrough solutions. If you’re driven to invent the future, build what’s next, and shape the landscape of national security, this is where you belong.

R&AD has an opening for a Senior Staff Chief Engineer to join our Advanced Aircraft Operating Unit (OU) located in Redondo Beach or El Segundo, CA.

Primary Responsibilities Will Include But Are Not Limited To

• Serve as the technical authority for the OU, providing technical direction and leadership to internally funded and contracted activities
• Serve as the focal point for definition and control of technical requirements, and ensure technical coordination and horizontal integration across projects
• Serve as the principal technical interface with the customer and company senior leadership
• Ensure that programs adhere to sound engineering principles and comply with relevant company policies, procedures, and quality standards
• Oversee and ensure technical performance measures are being met by the Engineering team within allocated cost and schedule resources
• Serve as the chairperson of the Technical Review Board (TRB)
• Support program managers in risk and opportunity management by identifying and owning risks associated with technical performance
• Provide technical leadership, direction and mentoring to technical contributors in the application of systems engineering principles, tools, and techniques to achieve practical end results

Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding ourselves and others accountable to meet our commitments. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, We pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline and 14 years related professional/military experience; OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 12 years of related professional/military experience; OR a Ph.D. in a related STEM discipline and 8 years of related professional/military experience
• Professional experience related to air vehicle conceptual design, vehicle technology development and demonstration, or aircraft prototype development and experimental testing.
• Experience integrating multiple engineering specialties and experience working across multiple Business Units within a company, as well as with industry partners and customer community
• Active US Government Secret clearance or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
• Ability to obtain SAP and TS / SCI Clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
• Ability to travel up to 25%

Preferred Qualifications

• Active DoD Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance, one or more SAP clearances
• Familiarity with US Government customer community in one or more relevant areas
• Experience across multiple phases of program lifecycle, including business development, business acquisition, research & development, production and sustainment.
• Experience as a Chief Engineer or technical lead with the planning and execution of technical design and integration tasks on schedule, at cost and achieving all technical requirements
• Demonstrated experience in making sound decisions in uncertain, ambiguous or difficult situations
• Excellent organizational and written communication skills, as well as project management planning and presentation skills

Primary Level Salary Range: $192,800.00 - $289,200.00

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.