Lead Principal Engineer GNC

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.

The Navigation and Controls Engineering Team is hiring for a Lead Principal Engineer located in Chandler, Arizona.

Essential Functions

• Capable of being an integral contributor in creation of advanced launch vehicle aerodynamic designs. Also capable of leading a small team in support of launch vehicle design through all phases from conceptual and preliminary aerodynamic design analyses to integration and test activities.

• Perform aerodynamic configuration trade studies on mission performance that includes effects of static and dynamic S&C, propulsion, and mass properties.

• Develop aerodynamic databases for use in 6 degree of freedom launch vehicle simulation models (table generation with logical dependencies, uncertainty analyses, V&V techniques). 

• Design and support wind tunnel testing programs. 

• Present work and technical findings to management and senior leadership through design reviews and program milestones (proposal efforts, technical reports, and formal customer presentations). 

• Preparation of man level staffing requirements to support development of a rocket vehicle design from concept to flight.

• Manage tasks and schedule to ensure smooth coordination with program and other leads.

• Manage a small team with ability to assign/monitor work and review for accuracy.

• Experience with a wide range of flight regimes (subsonic, transonic, supersonic, hypersonic, and rarefied flows). 

• Familiarity with legacy aerodynamic computer analysis programs (CFD and industry predictive codes – Fluent, DSMC, Loci-Chem, Fun3D, Cart3D, Missile Datcom).

• Familiarity with wind Tunnel Testing and evaluation (transonic and supersonic).

• Familiarity with launch vehicle aeroelastic analyses (distributed loads, deflected vehicle effects). Launch vehicle venting analysis requirements and engineering methodologies.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) with 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in STEM with 3 years of related engineering experience, or a PhD in STEM with 0 years experience
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical
• Experience with autopilot and guidance algorithm design and navigation and actuator subsystems
• Experience with Python and the Linux operating system
• Ability to obtain government security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical
• Experience with autopilot and guidance algorithm design and navigation and actuator subsystems
• Experience with Python and the Linux operating system
• Ability to obtain government security clearance

Salary Range: $90,400 USD - $135,600 USD

Employees may be eligible for 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 health and safety of our employees and their families is a top priority. The company encourages employees to remain up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. U.S. Northrop Grumman employees may be required, in the future, to be vaccinated or have an approved disability/medical or religious accommodation, pursuant to future court decisions and/or government action on the currently stayed federal contractor vaccine mandate under Executive Order 14042 https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/contractors/.

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.