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Mission Systems Flight Test Manager

Melbourne, Florida, United States
Full Time On-site
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time

Description

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.

Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding.  Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems sector has an opening for a Manager Flight Test Engineering 2 (S02) position specializing in Mission Systems (MS) testing. This position will be located in Melbourne, FL.

This position is a dual-hat position that requires the candidate to perform Functional management activities (20%) as well as program execution responsibilities (80%). In this role you will develop mission systems testing strategies on a classified DoD program.

In the functional role, the individual is responsible for Staffing & Resource Management, encompassing day-to-day communications, personnel issue resolution, Mentorship & Development, Performance & Compensation Management, Process & Goal Alignment, Process Adherence and general oversight.

This position will report to the T&E Department Manager for The Program. The selected candidate should thrive in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative/team settings across all levels of The Program. 

The candidate must be able to collaborate closely with System Engineers, hardware and software engineers, and integration/test engineers to provide leadership and guidance within Northrop Grumman, our suppliers and customer. The candidate will lead test working group meetings and develop test schedules and presentations to status task progress and cost/schedule performance for the various MS test strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Work with Mission Systems IPT to define the requirements for the systems under test
  • Decompose specifications to system performance, interface, test and verification requirements
  • Lead system testing, reporting, development of test procedures and data acquisition Knowledge of requirements development to include Systems Test Procedures for lab integration
  • Knowledge of lab processes, hardware testing, integration and System Qualification Testing
  • Develop test approach for payload testing through Flying Test Bed, laboratory and final flight test efforts
  • Developing Mission/Model Based Test and Evaluation (MBT&E) strategies
  • Coordinate and prioritize tasks for 12–20 engineers to achieve project goals.
  • Very strong organization, coordination, planning and teaming skills

Basic Qualifications: 

  • Must have a bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) field AND 9 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master’s degree AND 7 years of related professional/military experience
  • Your ability to transfer and maintain the final adjudicated U.S. government Top Secret clearance (must be in-scope or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation) and any program access(es) required for the position within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the Company.
  • 3+ years of experience working with Mission Systems and/or Mission Systems testing

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • 5+ years of experience working with Air Vehicle testing
  • Experience with flying test beds or early prototype testing
  • Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Systems Test and or Flight Test certification
  • Active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance (in-scope)
  • Active Program Access(es)
  • Lead or management experience in a team environment
  • Demonstrated leadership of engineering personnel on a Northrop Grumman Corporation program

#AS-FA3

Primary Level Salary Range: $126,600.00 - $189,800.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States, building advanced systems across space, air, land, sea, and cyber domains. The company is known for some of the most complex defense programs in the world, including stealth aircraft, autonomous systems, missile defense technologies, satellites, and space-based intelligence platforms that support U.S. national security operations.

For job seekers, Northrop Grumman offers careers across a wide range of high-impact fields including aerospace engineering, software development, cybersecurity, systems engineering, manufacturing, program management, and intelligence support. The company is especially attractive to veterans, cleared professionals, and engineers who want to work on mission-critical systems that directly support the Department of Defense and intelligence community. Many roles involve long-term programs with significant technical depth and real-world operational impact.

Unlike smaller defense startups focused on narrow capabilities, Northrop Grumman operates across multiple major mission areas, giving employees exposure to highly advanced programs such as stealth platforms, space systems, autonomous vehicles, and next-generation command-and-control systems. The company is also a major leader in classified space and intelligence systems, where cutting-edge engineering and secure infrastructure play a critical role in national defense.

As global competition in space, cyber, and advanced military systems continues to intensify, Northrop Grumman remains one of the most strategically important employers in the defense industry. For professionals seeking stable, highly technical careers with long-term impact on national security, Northrop Grumman continues to stand out as a leading destination in aerospace and defense.

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