Test Equipment & Flying Test Bed Manager 2 (AHT)

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 147,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Savings plan

Paid holidays and PTO

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems in Northridge, CA, seeks a Manager Test Engineering 2 - Special Test Equipment & Flying Test Bed Manager to lead an engineering department of up to 15 engineers and oversee the lifecycle management of test equipment and FTB. This on-site role requires regular travel to Baltimore, MD for FTB operations and supports R&D activities.

Strong leadership, technical expertise, and cross-functional collaboration are essential, as is the ability to drive process

Qualifications

• BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or equivalent with 8+ years of experience; or MS 6+ years of the same experience.
• 4+ years in a leadership role overseeing test equipment and integration & test with a multi-disciplinary team of 10+ engineers.
• Experience maintaining and operating a Flying Test Bed in accordance with FAA Part 91 standards.
• Experience with military electronics or related aerospace products and associated test methods.
• Active US Government Secret Security Clearance prior to start and ability to get cleared to SAP Access level.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage an Engineering Department of up to 15 engineers focused on Special Test Equipment Development and Sustainment.
• Safely integrate and operate experimental R&D payloads on the test bed aircraft and conduct flight profiles for data collection.
• Coordinate target requirements with DOD ranges and prepare, peer review, and submit test plans.
• Work with Engineering Leadership to ensure programs are staffed.
• Coach and develop staff for ongoing professional growth.
• Develop budgets and standards of performance.

Skills

Leadership

Test equipment

Project management

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS degree in Electrical/Software Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics

MS degree in relevant field

Tools

Flying Test Bed operations

Test equipment lifecycle management

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time

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 Defense Systems in Northridge, CA is currently seeking a Manager Test Engineering 2 - Special Test Equipment & Flying Test Bed Manager to support various programs within the Advanced Weapons Business Unit. The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in Northridge, CA and support regular travel to Baltimore, MD to support FTB operations. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Relocation assistance, although not guaranteed, may be available. This position reports directly to the Director of Systems Integration, Verification & Validation (SIV&V). The Manager of Special Test Equipment (STE) and Flying Test Bed (FTB) will be responsible for supporting the implementation of strategic goals and objectives as applicable to the Test Equipment & FTB Department to support business objectives while managing the Advanced Weapons flying testbed in support of ongoing Research and Development (R&D) activities. The role will ensure engineering projects, initiatives, and processes are in conformance with the organization's established policies and procedures. The Manager of STE and FTB is responsible for overseeing the lifecycle management of test equipment used in missile programs, spanning from requirements definition through design, manufacturing, sustainment, and disposal. This role involves leading a team to ensure that test equipment and FTB meets the rigorous standards required for development and production use. The manager will collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and implement strategies for the design, procurement, and maintenance of test equipment and FTB material, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and company policies. Additionally, the role requires the ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the efficiency and reliability of test equipment and FTB throughout its lifecycle. Strong leadership, technical expertise, and communication skills are essential to successfully coordinate with stakeholders and support the overall mission of the organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage an Engineering Department of up to 15 engineers focused on Special Test Equipment Development and Sustainment.
• Safely integrate and operate experimental R&D payloads on the test bed aircraft to include, conducting flight profiles that meet the specific altitude, air speed, and maneuvering parameters required for R&D data collection.
• Maintain and operate Advanced Weapons Business unit system-under-test equipment on FTB Coordinate target requirements with DOD ranges, to include ATR, Echo Range, NTTR, and others Prepare, peer review, and submit test plans as required by each range.
• Work with Engineering Leadership, Peer Managers and Program Management to ensure programs are adequately and appropriately staffed.
• Coach and develop staff by providing an environment that encourages ongoing professional growth.
• Ensure staff receives the appropriate training and skill development opportunities to be successful in their roles.
• Act as resource to the department staff by providing guidance, interpretation, training and key input regarding operating procedures and processes.
• Champion and participate in engineering process improvement initiatives to ensure alignment of operations initiatives.
• Support the Business Unit’s initiative to adopt Design for Manufacturability and Test practices.
• Develop and administer budgets and standards of performance.
• Participate in Peer Reviews and Major Design Reviews.
• Support proposal development and substantiation of related contract activities.
• Identify capital, facility, and other resource requirements to secure discretionary funding to support development and transition to production needs.

Basic Qualifications for a Manager Test Engineering 2 role: BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Physics, Mathematics or equivalent with 8+ years of experience; or MS 6+ years of the same experience. 4+ years in a leadership role overseeing test equipment and integration & test with a multi-disciplinary team of 10+ engineers Prior experience in leading departments, teams, or projects focused on Test Engineering, Integration, or Operations. Experience maintaining and operating a Flying Test Bed in accordance with FAA Part 91 standards Experience with military electronics or related aerospace products and associated test methods. Experience conducting Technical Review Boards Experience complying with Cyber and Information Assurance requirements Experience with estimating tasking including authoring and approving Basis of Estimates (BOEs) for Proposals. Active US Government Secret Security Clearance prior to start and ability to get cleared to SAP Access level.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience in program technical leadership or integrated product team leadership (IPTL). Experience complying with airworthiness requirements 14 CFR Part 91 Experience with Multi-disciplinary engineering. Demonstrated history of technical progression leading to engineering leadership position. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively with related disciplines and teams. Experience in Missile Development and/or Airborne Systems. Experience in transition from Technology Development to EMD, EMD to Limited Rate Production and product life-cycle engineering.

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.

We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space – our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.