RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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.
Northrop Grumman - Launch Vehicles Division seeks a dynamic, results-driven professional to fill the role of Chief Engineer: Level 6 – IPT Lead. This high-visibility position requires a technical and leadership expert capable of guiding multi-disciplinary engineering teams to design, integrate, and deliver cutting-edge kill vehicle systems for hypersonic environments. The ideal candidate will have exceptional avionics design expertise, a deep understanding of hypersonic system challenges, and proven program management abilities to balance cost, schedule, and quality.
What You’ll Get To Do
As the Chief Engineer: Level 6 – Integrated Product Team Lead, you will:
- Lead a High-Performing Team: Manage a cross-functional engineering team of over 50 professionals in a high-visibility and fast-paced program environment. Collaborate with diverse groups including Engineering & Program Management, Software and Hardware Engineers, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Mission Assurance teams.
- Be a Key Liaison: Work closely with U.S. and Japanese partners, fostering teamwork and collaboration in both domestic and international settings to meet technical and programmatic goals.
- Deliver End-to-End Solutions: Drive the design effort across multiple engineering disciplines, ensuring the development and integration of several delivered components and subsystems. Extend oversight to include tactical and test software development efforts.
- Solve Complex Challenges: Apply your organizational and technical problem-solving skills to ensure successful execution of system designs while addressing development risks and emerging challenges in real-time.
- Communicate at all Levels: Provide technical leadership and support for internal and external executive briefings, including program updates, engineering reviews, and risk management discussions.
- Maintain High Standards: Thrive in a high-expectation environment, demonstrating initiative, meticulous attention to detail, and polished verbal and written communication skills.
Essential Functions
Leadership and Team Management:
- Serve as the technical and leadership authority for the Kill Vehicle IPT team, delivering on challenging performance, schedule, and cost objectives.
- Engage, inspire, and guide cross-functional teams to achieve program milestones, ensuring clear communication and strong alignment across all stakeholders.
- Proactively manage team assignments, workloads, mentorship, and collaboration across internal teams and external partnerships.
System-Level Design Optimization
- Apply systems engineering principles to balance multi-discipline trade-offs between mechanical, electrical, software, propulsion, electro-optical, and manufacturing teams.
- Optimize kill vehicle performance by managing diverse requirements, mitigating risks, and resolving system integration challenges.
- Conduct structured trade studies to inform design decisions with practical and achievable solutions that enhance overall reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Subsystem Integration And Testing
- Collaborate with the Seeker IPT lead to integrate optical seeker and sensor systems, balancing critical thermal, electrical, and mechanical interfaces.
- Manage technical planning, design, and execution of rigorous subsystem and system-level test campaigns under flight-representative conditions to validate hypersonic system performance.
Stakeholder Management And Communication
- Serve as the primary technical interface for internal and external stakeholders, preparing and delivering clear communication on risks, trade-offs, decisions, and successes.
- Partner with internal program management and external vendors to align technical requirements and delivery schedules with program milestones.
- Foster collaborative, trust-based relationships with U.S. and international partners to maintain alignment and ensure mission success.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) with 14 years of related enginee