Engineering Jobs in Palmdale, CA

Test Engineering Assistant Department Manager

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 Test Engineering Assistant Department Manager to be the Functional Department Manager for the Ground Test and Maintenance Department and assist the Ground Test and Maintenance Director with management of the organization. This leadership role is located on-site in Palmdale, CA.

The Test and Evaluation (T&E) Ground Test and Maintenance Department is responsible for test and evaluation personnel, processes, and tools for the ground test planning and execution teams across multiple programs in the NGC Test and Evaluation portfolio. These teams include exempt, non-exempt, and management personnel.

Responsibilities include:

• Working with programs to understand program staffing needs
• Participating in the Ground Test & Maintenance Technical Discipline which maintains and updates company documents on Flight Test which includes Principles & Operating Practices (PrOPs), Process Asset Library (PALs), manuals, and forms
• Long range strategic planning
• Leadership development and knowledge retention
• Team engagement and collaboration
• Developing and driving affordability strategies
• Identifying and implementing process improvements within ground test

Additional responsibilities:

• Development and implementation of departmental vision and strategies regarding People, Process and Tools.
• Work to drive employee engagement, improve employee development, improve training, and the retention of top talent.
• Support departmental staffing for management & senior technical positions through the development of requisitions, facilitating and conducting interviews, onboarding, and mentoring of staff.
• Support in the redeployment of department personnel by identifying opportunities and facilitating interviews with other managers and departments as required.
• Work to identify and implement process improvements as a member/alternate member of a Technical Working Group (TWG).
• Support process audits, Independent Review Team evaluations, tiger teams, RCCA investigations, deep dives, and pre-milestone reviews.
• Serve on review boards and participate in program reviews [System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), TRR, FRR] as required.
• Assist with cross department integration activities, data calls, metrics generation, data collection, and reporting.
• Champion engagement activities to improve the workplace environment.
• Interface directly with test engineers, test leadership, technical experts, and other management in the department.
• Conduct employee performance management, goal development, quarterly connections, leadership development and knowledge retention.
• Assist the Center Department Managers in managing the engineering teams by assisting with the day-to-day execution of department activities, including managing section managers, and acting as the Delegation of Authority (DOA) in the absence of other Department Managers and the Center Director.
• Travel between various Northrop Grumman facilities as required (10%)
• Special assignments as required

Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding yourself and others accountable to meet predictable and balanced results. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, we pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 9 years of related professional/military work experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 7 years of related professional/military work experience OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 5 years related professional/military experience
• Must have a minimum of 3-year experience in a leadership or first level manager role
• Must have an active DoD Secret or Top-Secret clearance with full investigation within the last 6 years
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Program Access (PAR) within a reasonable period, as determined by the company to meet its business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in a Science, Technical, Engineering or Math field (STEM)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA), or advanced Project Management (PM) Degree/Certifications
• Experience in a Ground Test and Maintenance environment
• Experience with T&E processes and procedures to support both management and engineering tasks
• Familiarity with current programs across Northrop Grumman Corporation Aeronautics (NGC AS) Sector
• Experience building and developing multi-talented, cross-functional teams
• Prior functional management experience with knowledge of Functional Homeroom (FHR) processes

Salary Range: $170,000.00 - $255,000.00 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 Northrop Grumman's website.

U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.