Test Engineering Manager 2 - R10226100

Northrop Grumman; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 146,600 - 219,800; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Discretionary bonuses

Paid time off

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in San Diego, CA, is seeking a Test Engineering Manager 2. In this managerial role, you will provide leadership for the engineering team, focusing on program execution and technical oversight, while driving personnel management strategies. Candidates should have a strong background in STEM disciplines with significant engineering experience. This position offers competitive compensation and an inclusive work culture.

Qualifications

• 9 years of related engineering experience or a Master's with 7 years.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams effectively.
• Knowledgeable in capital expenditures and budget management.

Responsibilities

• Lead personnel management including workforce planning and hiring.
• Drive day-to-day execution of engineering team activities.
• Ensure consistent application of engineering processes and best practices.

Skills

Leadership

Engineering Management

Technical Oversight

Interpersonal Communication

Risk Management

Education

Bachelor of Science in a STEM discipline

Master’s degree in a STEM discipline

Job 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 Space Sector is seeking a Test Engineering Manager 2 to join our team in San Diego, CA.

As the manager, you will provide both programmatic and technical leadership to the PASS Operating unit and will have responsibility for cost, schedule, operational and technical execution. In addition to leading the Test Engineering team, this position will have the opportunity to work closely with program leadership, manufacturing, and technical leaders and subject matter experts within the MEP Business unit.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

People Leadership & Talent Management

• Lead all aspects of personnel management, including workforce planning, hiring, retention, engagement, redeployment, and succession planning.
• Partner closely with program leadership, HR, functional peers, and department manager to align talent to current and future program needs.
• Support staffing for technical roles, including requisition development, interview facilitation, onboarding, and mentoring.
• Foster an inclusive, high performance culture aligned with Northrop Grumman leadership behaviors (vision, ownership, resilience, speed).
• Conduct performance management activities, including goal setting, quarterly connections, routine one on ones, leadership development, cross-training and building technical bench depth, and knowledge sharing activities.

Execution & Operational Leadership

• Drive day‑to‑day execution of engineering team activities in support of program objectives.
• Serve as 2nd‑level escalation point for all end‑item test issues.
• Plan and schedule test campaigns, managing test resources including sourcing information from programs, assigning programs to test engineers and managing Direct Labor Yield, and scheduling of test rigs.
• Support daily management review (DMR) and report status as well as constraints for test engineering team.
• Work closely with the test technician team manager providing daily coordination.
• Serve as Delegation of Authority (DOA) in the absence of the Department Manager as required.
• Ensure consistent application of functional engineering processes, tools, and best practices.
• Partner across functions to support cross-discipline and intra-discipline test activities, data analysis, metrics development, and performance reporting in coordination with Programs, Engineering and Operations.

Technical & Program Oversight

Provide engineering leadership oversight for technical execution activities, including:

• Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) and Failure Review Board (FRB) investigations.
• Driving to rapid resolution and effective corrective actions.
• System Engineering Technical Reviews (SETRs), such as System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs).
• Process audits and Independent Review Team (IRT) engagements.
• Test fixture design, Test procedure creation/review and Report writing.
• Proactively identifying and mitigating risks to personnel and flight hardware.
• Support long‑range strategic planning efforts and execute special assignments as required.

Process Standardization & Continuous Improvement

• Develop, publish, and enforce standardized test processes, tools, and methods.
• Capture lessons learned, drive first‑pass‑yield improvements, and own On Time Delivery (OTD) metrics.

Capability Growth & Capital Planning

• Author capital equipment and facilities budgets; plan strategic hiring to expand test capacity.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging test technologies (digital image correlation, acoustic emission monitoring).

Customer & Supplier Interface

• Serve as primary technical liaison for customer test requirements, acceptance criteria, and proposal BOE support.
• Review subcontractor test data for compliance with program standards.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 9 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 7 years of related engineering experience.
• Working knowledge of structural testing including Static load testing, Dynamic testing (Sine, Sine burst Random, Acoustic, Modal) and thermal exposure (thermal cycling and thermal vac.)
• Working knowledge of composite structure testing
• Knowledgeable in capital expenditures planning/management and general expense budget planning/management
• Experience in leading, mentoring, and developing multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver complex technical solutions, within cost and schedule constraints, across the various phases of the engineering lifecycle.
• Knowledge of workforce and resource planning, including allocating resources across programs, managing workloads and priorities, forecasting staffing needs, and executing end‑to‑end hiring decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Engineering (or a closely related discipline).
• Proven leadership ability with at least 2 years of people‑management experience, including first‑level or higher supervisory responsibilities.
• Exceptional interpersonal and written/oral communication skills that enable effective collaboration with cross‑functional teams, customers, and senior stakeholders.
• Six Sigma Green Belt (or equivalent continuous‑improvement certification).
• Hands‑on experience with Earned Value Management (EVMS), Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), and Basis‑of‑Estimate (BOE) development.
• Direct involvement in the System Engineering Technical Review process (SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR).
• Demonstrated expertise in defining, tracking, and acting on performance metrics to monitor and control program and technical execution.
• Strong background in technical planning, risk&opportunity management, and driving project outcomes across cost, schedule, and technical quality.
• Experience partnering with customers to negotiate test requirements and ensure mutual alignment.

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.

Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? https://www.northropgrumman.com/space

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: $146,600.00 - $219,800.00

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.