Flight Test & Instrumentation Department Manager

Northrop Grumman•Melbourne, FL

3d•$151,500 - $227,300•Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Flight Test & Instrumentation Department Manager within its Test and Evaluation organization. This leadership role is located in Melbourne, FL. As a leader, you always act with integrity, and the highest ethical standards characterize everything you do. You enable your team to achieve predictable and balanced results, while satisfying the needs of internal and external partners. You treat all people with respect, and you model personal growth and continuous development. You know how to build an inclusive environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. You develop trusted and valued customer relationships and communicate effectively, so that people throughout the organization feel engaged and connected to their work. You deliver excellence, strive for continuous improvement and respond vigorously to change. The Department Manager is accountable for the performance, development, and engagement of a large engineering organization consisting of section managers and individual contributors. The role balances people leadership, technical oversight, and operational execution in a complex, program-driven environment.

Requirements

Must have a 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.
Minimum 3 years of leadership experience, including first-level or higher people management leadership.
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.
Relevant test experience in one or more of the following fields: Flight testing such as performance flutter, flying qualities, loads, and mission systems (sensors, mission processing, communication systems) for development and operational test.
Ability to obtain/transfer and maintain the final adjudicated government Top Secret clearance, and any program access(es) required for the position.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience applying performance management process and HR policies, including goal setting, performance feedback, development planning, and addressing performance concerns in accordance with company policy.
Experience with Earned Value Management Techniques (EVMS) / Control Account Management (CAM), Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), Basis of Estimates (BOEs) and cost-schedule-risk trade off management.
Experience identifying, developing, and managing performance metrics to support program and technical execution monitoring and control.
Proven expertise in technical planning, risk?&?opportunity management, and driving project performance across cost, schedule, and technical quality.
Current TS/SCI and SAP clearances
Production testing in a DCMA 8210.D program to include conduct of acceptance test procedures, initial engine run testing, functional check flight testing and customer delivery.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of personnel management, including workforce planning, hiring, retention, engagement, redeployment, and succession planning.
Support staffing for section manager and senior technical roles, including requisition development, interview facilitation, onboarding, and mentoring.
Foster a culture of engagement, collaboration, accountability/ownership, and belonging by modeling Northrop Grumman leadership behaviors: Sets a vision, builds a high performing team, takes ownership, leads with courage, responds to challenges with resilience and acts with speed.
Conduct performance management activities, including goal setting, quarterly connections, leadership development, and knowledge sharing activities.
Drive day-to-day execution of departmental activities in support of program objectives.
Serve as Delegation of Authority (DOA) in the absence of the Department Manager and/or EI&E leadership, as required.
Ensure consistent application of functional engineering processes, tools, and best practices in alignment with the Center of Technical Excellence.
Partner across functions to support cross-discipline and intra-discipline integration activities, data analysis, metrics development, and performance reporting in coordination with Strategy, Integration, and Operations.
Provide engineering leadership oversight for technical execution activities, including: Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations, System Engineering Technical Reviews (SETRs), such as System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs); Flight Readiness Reviews (FRR).
Process audits and Independent Review Team (IRT) engagements.
Support long-range strategic planning efforts and execute special assignments as required.