Principal / Sr. Principal I&T Systems Engineer - Flight Test

Northrop Grumman • Baltimore, MD

2d • $108,800 - $203,600 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is hiring a Systems Integration & Test (SI&T) Engineer at the Principal or Sr. Principal level for its Emerging Capabilities Division in Baltimore, Maryland. The engineer will support flight-test verification activities involving sophisticated systems with hardware and software components in development and production environments. The role includes synthesizing customer needs and requirements into system tests, developing and executing test plans and procedures, participating in readiness and design reviews, coordinating integrated testing, evaluating test requirements, analyzing results, and using modeling and simulation tools to support testing and troubleshooting.

As a Flight Test Engineer, the employee will plan, coordinate, and execute safe and effective flights; generate test cards; and conduct testing at customer sites in accordance with governing documentation and program goals. The role participates across the product life cycle, from design and fabrication through test planning, installation, execution, operation, and maintenance. It also supports airworthiness planning and verification, including airworthiness plans, certification bases, compliance methods, and certification activities. Domestic travel to customer locations, typically military test centers, may be required up to 50% of the time; overseas travel is not anticipated. The position requires onsite work in Baltimore and an active DoD Secret clearance.

Requirements

• For Principal level: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline and 5 or more years of relevant experience; alternatively, 3 or more years with a master's degree or 1 or more year with a Ph.D. Four additional years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree on a case-by-case basis.
• For Sr. Principal level: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline and 8 or more years of relevant experience; alternatively, 6 or more years with a master's degree or 4 or more years with a Ph.D. Four additional years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree on a case-by-case basis.
• Test and operations experience with UAS or manned aircraft operations.
• Experience troubleshooting and resolving issues on test aircraft in both field and lab environments.
• Demonstrated experience in system integration and test of complex hardware and software systems.
• Strong communication skills and ability to interface across multiple teams.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 50% of the time.
• Active DoD Secret clearance.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Ability to work onsite in Baltimore, Maryland.

Nice To Haves

• Significant experience integrating hardware, software, and third-party components, including test planning, execution, and analysis.
• Experience collaborating with diverse technical and domain teams to capture test objectives and requirements.
• Air Vehicle or Flight Science testing background, such as GNC, Propulsion, or Loads Flight Test Engineering.
• NAVAIR Airworthiness and Cybersafe Office (formerly 4.0P) airworthiness experience.
• Experience with Vehicle Management Systems (VMS) and/or Vehicle Control Functions (VCF).
• Military aircraft development or modification experience, particularly with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps platforms.
• Experience working with CAT2 or CAT1 UAS systems through operations or testing.
• Design and systems engineering experience in one or more of Flight Technology, Avionics, Mission Payload Integration, or Flight Test.
• Experience with MIL-HDBK-516C and MIL-STD-882E.
• Familiarity with NAVAIR Instruction 13034.1F or 13034.1G.
• Familiarity with System Safety Risk Assessments (SSRA), program risks, and hazard analyses.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and execute safe and effective flight tests; generate test cards and conduct testing at customer sites in accordance with governing documentation and program goals.
• Participate in all stages of the product life cycle, including design, fabrication, test planning, installation, test execution, operation, and maintenance.
• Review functional and timeline analyses, trade studies, requirements allocation, interface definitions, and hardware and software specifications for airworthiness compliance.
• Support technical airworthiness planning and verification, including developing and negotiating airworthiness plans, bases of certification, means of compliance, and certification activities with integrated product teams, responsible engineers, and customer counterparts.
• Integrate and test hardware and software components in development and production environments.
• Translate internal and external customer needs and requirements into system tests while accounting for technical and schedule constraints.
• Develop and execute test plans, procedures, and schedules for verifying system requirements.
• Participate in I&T readiness reviews and design reviews, and conduct audits of I&T program facilities.
• Coordinate integrated testing, which may include environmental, reliability, and flight testing.
• Review test requirements for completeness and analyze test results to prepare comprehensive reports.
• Use modeling and simulation tools to support unit testing before all system components are available and to troubleshoot and repair failed units.
• Travel domestically to customer locations, typically military test centers, up to 50% of the time.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company-paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• Potential eligibility for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus, depending on the position

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior