Sr. Staff - Chief Engineer - 18318

Northrop Grumman; Huntsville (TN); On-site; USD 184,000 - 276,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision coverage

401k

Educational Assistance

Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Li

Paid Time Off

Health & Wellness Resources

Employee Discounts

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Sr. Staff - Chief Engineer to lead technical programs in missile design, development, integration and test. The position is located in Huntsville, AL or Roy, UT and requires strong leadership, MBSE, and DoD standards adherence.

The candidate will manage a multidisciplinary team, maintain the schedule, and drive technical reviews with customers and senior leadership. US citizenship and an active Secret clearance are required, relocation assistance may be available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university and 16+ years of relevant experience, OR a Master’s degree and 14+ years of relevant experience, OR a PhD and 12+ years of relevant experience
• Must be a US Citizen with an active U.S Government Secret Clearance at time of application
• 12+ years of experience leading cross-functional engineering teams on missile or aerospace programs
• Experience interpreting physics-based modeling and simulation results to influence design decisions

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for missile design, development, integration and test
• Lead multi-disciplinary IPTs and provide technical direction
• Own end-to-end system design, integration, and verification
• Maintain technical baseline and schedule, track KPIs and KPPs
• Chair major technical reviews and interface with customer and leadership
• Identify and mitigate technical risks and opportunities
• Drive technical execution for major program events
• Champion agile and process-excellence practices across software and test
• Advance Model-Based Engineering tools and processes
• Coordinate with suppliers to ensure deliverables meet objectives
• Oversee technical proposals and engineering changes

Skills

Systems engineering

Leadership

MBSE

Cross-functional leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s or PhD (preferred)

Tools

Jira

Confluence

PLM/CAD

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.

Join Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and start contributing to our team of passionate professionals providing real-life solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. We take pride in creating purposeful work and allowing our employees to grow and achieve their goals every day by Defining Possible. With our competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, we have the right opportunities to fit your life and launch your career today.

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking to hire a Sr. Staff - Chief Engineer. This position will be located in Huntsville, Alabama or Roy, Utah.

Provide overall technical leadership for all aspects of missile design, development, integration and test. The ideal candidate is a demonstrated leader and team player with strong leadership skills and demonstrated problem-solving skills. The position requires excellent communication skills, strong interpersonal/organizational skills, and a proactive, detail-oriented approach.

The selected candidate will have responsibilities for managing the technical performance and providing technical oversight and leadership to a multi-disciplinary engineering team developing a critical defense capability.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Ensure the engineering team adheres to sound engineering processes across all disciplines

• Lead and mentor multi-disciplinary engineering IPTs (systems, air-vehicle, mission, software, test, manufacturing, supply chain, mission assurance) providing technical direction

• Own end-to-end system design, integration, and verification, overseeing architecture, requirements, MBSE, hardware/software development, avionics integration, laboratory and flight-test activities, and data analysis to deliver a sustainable weapon system on schedule

• Maintain the technical baseline and Integrated Master Schedule, track KPIs, technical performance measures and KPPs, and ensure compliance with safety, airworthiness, quality, and DoD engineering standards

• Chair and lead all major technical reviews (SRR, SFR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR) and serve as the primary technical liaison with the customer, subcontractors, and senior leadership, delivering briefings and status updates

• Identify, assess, and manage technical risks, issues, and opportunities; develop and execute mitigation actions and elevate significant concerns to program leadership

• Drive technical execution for major program events, ensuring alignment with the Integrated Master Schedule and delivering exceptional customer value

• Champion agile and process-excellence practices across software, integration, and test, fostering continuous-improvement and affordability initiatives

• Implement and advance Model-Based Engineering tools and processes to create a highly sustainable, configurable weapon system architecture

• Coordinate technical interchange with suppliers and functional groups, articulating requirements, securing resources, and ensuring supplier deliverables meet program objectives

• Oversee technical proposal development, large-scale bid reviews, and engineering change proposals, ensuring technical adequacy, schedule adherence, and budget compliance

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university and 16+ years of relevant experience, OR a Master’s degree and 14+ years of relevant experience, OR a PhD and 12+ years of relevant experience

• Must be a US Citizen with an active U.S Government Secret Clearance , at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years

• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret Clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs

• 12+ years of experience leading cross-functional engineering teams on missile or aerospace programs, with hands‑on expertise in MBSE, PLM/CAD, configuration management, and DoD engineering standards

• Experience interpreting physics‑based modeling and simulation results to influence design decisions and evaluate system performance

• Experience in building and leading high performing teams, strong business acumen, and ability to work effectively across multiple functions

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in cruise missile design, development, testing and transition to production

• Strong communication skills and demonstrated experience interfacing with senior organizational and customer leadership

• Active DoD Top Secret Clearance

• Outstanding ability to build rapport and collaborate with external partners, suppliers, and stakeholders

• Experience developing complex requirements and maintaining traceability throughout the lifecycle

• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) and Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) reporting

• Experience with agile processes and Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence)

Position Benefits

As a full‑time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage

• 401k

• Educational Assistance

• Life Insurance

• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions

• Paid Time Off

• Health & Wellness Resources

• Employee Discounts

https://www.northropgrumman.com/who-we-are/total-rewards-benefits/

This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.

Primary Level Salary Range: $184,100.00 - $276,100.00

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.