Principal or Senior Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Landing Gear)

Northrop Grumman•San Diego, CA

10d•$114,000 - $213,400•Onsite

About The Position

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. Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Principal or Senior Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Landing Gear) to our team in El Segundo, CA or Rancho Bernardo, CA. The selected candidate will be responsible for development, design, and integration of landing gear on an advanced aircraft.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) discipline with 5 years of related experience; OR a Master’s Degree in a relevant STEM discipline with 3 years of related experience; OR a PhD in a relevant STEM discipline with 1 year of related experience (for Principal Aeronautical Engineer).
Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) discipline with 8 years of related experience; OR a Master’s Degree in a relevant STEM discipline with 6 years of related experience; OR a PhD in a relevant STEM discipline with 4 years of related experience (for Senior Principal Aeronautical Engineer).
Prior experience with aircraft landing gear systems and landing gear design
Prior experience with 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) software applications
Familiarity with industry standard software application tools such as Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, etc.
Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
Ability to obtain and maintain Special Program Access (SAP).
U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related discipline
Expert knowledge of landing gear design including: Landing gear placement (both deployed and retracted positions), Landing gear loads and preliminary sizing, Shock struts, Wheel and tire selection, Braking systems, Retraction and locking systems, Landing gear door sequencing mechanisms
Experience with Siemens NX CAD application, including NX Motion module
Familiarity with development of landing gear doors, door actuation and door locks, as well as the development of in-flight door opening mechanisms
Prior experience leading a team of engineers
Prior experience in coordinating with multiple Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) within a dynamic program environment
Experience with suppliers and supplier coordination

Responsibilities

Identify existing and/or conceptual landing gear systems to meet requirements, creating 3D models and layouts, and performing trade studies to analyze the impact of integrating proposed mechanisms systems onto aircraft, as well as identify main driver variables that most significantly impact top level program requirements.
Support advanced aircraft design efforts with landing gear system design, hardware selection, placement, preliminary sizing, and initial integration into different aircraft configurations.
Provide mechanisms design support to other aircraft sub-systems, such as drive systems and door uplocks for in-flight door operation.
Develop landing gear system requirements and create the associated system specifications, supplier procurement specifications, and supplier SOWs.
Create functional architecture and activity diagrams, in collaboration with other sub-system engineering disciplines to understand power, cooling, signal, and structural interfaces for the landing gear system.
Support the supplier management team by being the primary technical interface between NGAS and landing gear supplier subject matter experts.
Participate in internal program, customer, and supplier technical exchange meetings and formal program milestone reviews to provide and/or obtain progress status updates.
Provide technical guidance to, and coordinate with, multiple engineering design teams, including the aircraft configuration team, the structures team, sub-systems team, and supplier management teams supporting the conceptual, preliminary, and detail design and development of the aircraft.