Specialty Test Engineer / Principal Specialty Test Engineer

Northrop Grumman • Palmdale, CA

130d • $89,400 - $134,200 • Remote

About The Position

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 Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Specialty Test Engineer or Principal Specialty Test Engineer to join our Full-Scale Test (FST) team within our Specialty Test department. The FST performs all structural testing, both static and fatigue, ranging from component level to full scale article on both R&D and flight hardware. This role is located in Palmdale, CA. Note: Due to the classified nature of the work being performed, this position does not offer any virtual or telecommute working options. This is an individual contributor role that can be filled at either level. Candidates will apply their electrical, mechanical, and computer skills to this job. They should possess a background in requirements derivation, process adherence, test fixture design, test setup, test planning, PDR/CDR/TRR, PID controls, and data analysis. While collaborating with various disciplines and different levels of personnel throughout all phases of structural testing toward a collective objective, they must exhibit excellent communication skills and exceptional abilities to work well within a diverse team. Functional performance includes a unique role that requires the candidate to demonstrate proficiency in electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic facets involved with all testing functions interchangeably. Candidates must also have familiarity with operating and the basic concepts pertaining to data acquisition and load control hardware, as well as related instrumentation such as: LVDTs, Strain Gages, String Pots, and Load Cells. Candidate will potentially serve as a leader and mentor to entry-level engineers and technicians.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline from an accredited university with 2 years of experience in engineering; OR Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline.
• Must have an active DoD Secret clearance or higher (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
• Proficiency with Mechanical or Electrical or Electromechanical Engineering concepts.
• Must be able to work multiple shifts depending on program need and have ability and willingness to work non-standard shifts/overtime.
• Proficient with MS Office applications including Excel, Word, and/or Power Point.
• Must have experience in Visio, AutoCAD, CATIA and/or NX.

Nice To Haves

• Current Program SAP Access (T1).
• Experience with Structures Test and operating control & data acquisition hardware, as well as a solid grasp of related instrumentation such as LVDTs, strain gauges, string pots, and load cells.
• Experience in mechanical assembly & test, analog electronics, transducers, strain gage design & installation.
• Hands-on skill application in servo valves, pneumatic/hydraulic system design, set up, and checkout.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, LabView, and VBA programming/scripting.

Responsibilities

• Test Lifecycle Management - requirements derivation, Fixture Design, Fixture procurement and fabrication, test setup integration, test planning, support various gate reviews, test execution and test reporting.
• Contributes to the development, fabrication and assembly of mechanical and electromechanical components, sub-assemblies, systems, and full-scale test stands.
• Work with state of the art, load control and data acquisition systems to execute testing containing hundreds of load/position/pressure control channels while acquiring feedback/data from thousands of sensors.
• Hardware and instrumentation design, set-up, program, and operation, troubleshooting, data reduction, test report preparation/presentation and maintain load control and data acquisition systems.
• Plan and arrange for the equipment and personnel required to fulfill test requirements.
• Co-Author and publish test/instrumentation procedures, test reports and other documents as necessary to support the SOW.
• Participate in formal readiness reviews throughout all phases of testing.
• Participate in post-test data evaluation, issue identification, and resolutions.
• Set up, install, and troubleshoot all types of instrumentation (load cells, LVDTs, strain gages, string pots, thermocouples, etc.) and understand their associated functional concepts.
• Creating 2D/3D drawings in AutoCAD and/or NX.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree