Test Engineer / Principal Test Engineer - 18264
About The Position
Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is hiring a Test Engineer or Principal Test Engineer to support Advanced Programs in Huntsville, Alabama. The position supports Phase 2 and future-phase test activities, including preparing test facilities, laboratories, hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop environments, and associated infrastructure. The role translates customer contractual requirements into system-level test solutions and develops, leads, and executes integrated test plans and events for subsystem, system-level, and environmental testing, including in-air and underwater eject tests. The engineer maintains test requirements traceability and verification and validation artifacts, coordinates test campaigns across engineering teams, laboratory operations, range organizations, and suppliers, and analyzes results to inform system-level evaluations and design improvements. Responsibilities also include reviewing supplier test efforts, developing proof-of-concept and risk-reduction demonstrations, managing test data and configuration, and serving as a technical liaison with customers, contractors, and senior stakeholders. The role requires compliance with safety, security, and export-control requirements. The position requires an active, current DoD Secret clearance at the time of application, with an investigation within the last six years. The successful candidate must also be able to obtain and maintain Top Secret clearance and Special Access Program approval within a reasonable period. Travel is 10% of the time. The standard work schedule is 9/80, with nine-hour days Monday through Thursday and every other Friday off. Relocation assistance may be available.
Requirements
- For Engineer T-02: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university and 2 years of relevant experience, or a master's degree and no experience required.
- For Principal T-03: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university and 5 years of relevant experience; or a master's degree and 3 years; or a Ph.D. and 1 year; or 4 additional years of experience in lieu of a degree.
- Must be a U.S. citizen with an active DoD Secret clearance at the time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain Top Secret clearance and Special Access Program approval within a reasonable period, as determined by the company.
- At least 3 years of experience developing and executing integrated test plans and procedures for complex defense or aerospace systems, including requirements traceability within a systems engineering framework such as DOORS or equivalent.
- At least 3 years of experience planning and executing hardware-in-the-loop and/or system-level hardware test activities, including coordination across multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced environment.
- At least 3 years of experience developing innovative test automation solutions.
- At least 3 years of experience documenting test requirements and methodologies in a requirements management system.
- At least 3 years of experience assessing anomalies and developing resolutions to documented procedures in conjunction with Test and Quality Engineering.
- At least 3 years of experience reviewing test-requirement status, managing schedules, preparing reports, and selecting and supervising technicians during testing.
Nice To Haves
- Active DoD Top Secret clearance.
- Experience developing Integrated Test Plans, test procedures, and test reports, including functional checkout, for major DoD acquisition programs, preferably in strategic deterrence or missile systems.
- Experience leading test activities in a multi-team environment, including schedule and risk management, performance metrics, and customer or peer technical reviews.
- Experience with test-related toolsets such as DOORS or equivalent, Atlassian tools such as Confluence and Jira, and data analytics or visualization tools such as Tableau.
- Experience interfacing with or managing suppliers for test-related work, including drafting or executing Statements of Work and coordinating hardware procurement or supply chains for test assets.
- CompTIA Security+ certification or equivalent DoD 8570 certification.
- Experience with IBM Jazz to assist in automated test execution.
Responsibilities
- Prepare and manage facilities, laboratories, HWIL/SWIL test environments, and supporting infrastructure for Phase 2 and future-phase test activities.
- Translate customer contractual requirements into comprehensive system-level test solutions that balance technical performance, schedule, and cost.
- Develop, lead, and execute integrated test plans, procedures, and schedules for subsystem, system-level, and environmental test events, including in-air and underwater eject tests.
- Contribute to and maintain the Integrated Test Plan and associated verification and validation artifacts to ensure test requirement completeness and traceability.
- Coordinate test activities across internal engineering teams, lab operations, range organizations, and external suppliers.
- Analyze test results and system performance, generate system-level evaluation reports, and provide recommendations for design improvement and risk reduction.
- Review and oversee supplier test efforts, including requirements, plans, procedures, verification and validation of delivered components, and test data.
- Design and implement proof-of-concept and risk-reduction test methods and demonstrations to identify and mitigate early program risks.
- Manage test data acquisition, configuration control, analysis, metrics, and documentation using modern toolsets.
- Serve as a technical liaison for test activities with customers, contractors, and senior stakeholders while ensuring compliance with safety, security, and export-control requirements.
- Assess anomalies and develop resolutions to documented procedures in conjunction with Test and Quality Engineering.
- Review test-requirement status, manage schedules, prepare reports, and select and supervise technicians during testing.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k)
- Educational assistance
- Life insurance
- Employee assistance programs and work/life solutions
- Paid time off
- Health and wellness resources
- Employee discounts
- Disability insurance
- Company-paid holidays
- Potential overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus, depending on position and eligibility
- Potential long-term incentives for employees in Vice President or Director positions
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
