Sr Principal/Principal Flight Test Engineer

Northrop Grumman; Edwards (CA); On-site; USD 103,600 - 155,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Northrop Grumman in California is seeking a Flight Test Engineer to lead CNI focused test efforts on aircraft platforms. You'll be the main technical authority for CNI system test planning and execution, aligning with engineering and maintenance teams.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in technical leadership and a solid background in communication and navigation systems. Clearances and flexibility for overtime work are needed.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of related professional/military experience, or 3+ years with a Master's degree.
• Must have an active US Government clearance.
• Willingness to work overtime and odd-hour shifts.

Responsibilities

• Lead CNI test planning and execution.
• Develop Integrated Test Plans (ITPs).
• Provide real-time mission control support.

Skills

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Data analysis

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM

Tools

Integrated Analysis & Data System (IADS)

Statistical analysis tools

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a highly experienced Flight Test Engineer to lead Communication, Navigation, Identification (CNI) focused test efforts for one or more aircraft platforms. The incumbent will serve as the primary technical authority for CNI system test planning, execution, and data analysis, and will act as a focal point between design engineering, maintenance, test operations, and the customer.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop and publish Integrated Test Plans (ITPs), detailed test procedures, and schedules that address CNI functional, performance, and survivability requirements for developmental and operational test phases.
• Lead CNI test planning working groups, coordinating across avionics, communications, navigation, and mission systems disciplines to align test objectives, resources, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Interface with design and analysis teams to define test configurations, instrumentation, and data collection requirements for radar, datalink, GPS/INS, IFF, electronic warfare, and other CNI subsystems.
• Review and evaluate test requirements and traceability matrices to ensure completeness, compliance with applicable MIL STD/DO */GPM/IER standards, and alignment with aircraft mission goals.
• Perform technical analysis of system level CNI performance, preparing comprehensive evaluation reports that document compliance, margin, and any corrective actions required.
• Support the development, review, and approval of test cards and checklists in collaboration with engineering, test operations, and safety personnel.
• Conduct Test Readiness Reviews (TRR) and support Pre/Post Test Briefings to communicate status, risks, and findings to stakeholders.
• Provide real time mission control room support using Integrated Analysis & Data System (IADS), making safety critical decisions and adjusting test execution to maintain efficiency and data integrity.
• Execute pre and post test data analyses, applying statistical methods and model based verification to identify anomalies, root causes, and corrective actions for CNI subsystems.
• Maintain and report testing metrics, flight hour utilization, and constraints using other enterprise tools.
• Mentor junior engineers and act as the principal subject matter expert (SME) for CNI test methodology, standards, and best practices across the test team.
• Coordinate with security, safety, and certification authorities to ensure compliance with classified handling requirements and airworthiness directives.

Basic Qualifications

This requisition may be filled at either a Principal or a Sr Principal Flight Test Engineer level.

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 5 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master’s degree and 3 years of related professional/military experience.
• Must have an active US Government clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
• Willingness to work overtime, odd‑hour shifts, and occasional weekends to support test schedules.

Basic Qualifications For Sr. Principal Engineer Flight Test Engineer

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master’s degree and 6 years of related professional/military experience.
• Must have an active US Government clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
• Willingness to work overtime, odd‑hour shifts, and occasional weekends to support test schedules.

Preferred Qualifications

• A current active in-scope U.S. Government DoD Top Secret clearance
• Outstanding oral and written communication; experience presenting technical briefings to senior leadership, contractors, and customers
• Direct test experience with communication suites (e.g., Link 16, SATCOM, TDL), navigation systems (GPS, INS, GAINS, DME), and identification technologies (IFF, ADS B)
• Prior experience working in classified environments and implementing Safety Management System (SMS) processes for flight test operations.
• Prior experience and familiarity with the USAF 412th Test Wing processes.

Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00

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.

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.