Principal Aeronautical Engineer or Sr. Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Stores Aerodynamics)
Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is hiring a Principal Aeronautical Engineer or Sr. Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Stores Aerodynamics) to join our Vehicle Engineering organization in El Segundo, CA.
We are seeking an experienced aerodynamics engineer to join our team in analyzing aerodynamic stores integration and Air Vehicle aerodynamics. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in aerodynamics and a passion for developing innovative solutions to improve flight performance.
Responsibilities may include:
- Perform aerodynamic characterization efforts utilizing analytical methods
- Perform analytical stores trajectory and separation analyses
- Provide technical analysis data for data reports and other Airworthiness artifacts required to support flight clearances and certification
- Support execution of wind tunnel test events including two-body separation tests
- Support ground and flight test events, acquisition, and analysis of test data
- Perform complex professional tasks with skill and ability
- Create innovative solutions to a variety of technical challenges of increasing scope and complexity
- Work closely with other disciplines including Configuration, Aerodynamics, S&RE, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Mechanisms, etc.
- Utilize excellent communication skills to report program milestones, technical approaches, and findings to leads, program management, and customer
This role can be filled as a Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Stores Aerodynamics) or as a Sr. Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Stores Dynamics), depending on the qualifications below.
Basic Qualifications for Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Stores Aerodynamics):
- Bachelor of Science (BS) in a related Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 5 years of relevant engineering experience; OR Master of Science (MS) in a related STEM discipline with 3 years of relevant engineering experience; OR a PhD in a related STEM discipline with 1 year of relevant engineering experience.
- Knowledge of fixed-wing aircraft aerodynamics
- Experience with using aerodynamic tools and techniques
- Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
Basic Qualifications for Sr. Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Stores Aerodynamics):
- Bachelor of Science (BS) in a related Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 8 years of relevant engineering experience; OR Master of Science (MS) in a related STEM discipline with 6 years of relevant engineering experience; OR a PhD in a related STEM discipline with 3 years of relevant engineering experience.
- Knowledge of fixed-wing aircraft aerodynamics
- Experience with using aerodynamic tools and techniques
- Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
Preferred Qualifications for both levels:
- Degree discipline in Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering with concentration in aerodynamics
- Current DoD Secret or Top-Secret Security Clearance and SAP clearances
- Experience with generating aerodynamic databases for 6-DOF simulation
- Experience in conducting 6-DOF stores trajectory and separation analyses
- Experience with onsite support of wind tunnel testing and data acquisition systems
- Experience in supporting ground and flight test events and analyzing collected data
- Experience with DOD safety board processes for store separation
- Fortran, C/C++ and/or Python programming skills
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Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00The 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.Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in STEM with 5+ years experience OR MS with 3+ years OR PhD with 1+ year (Principal) or BS with 8+ years/MS with 6+ years/PhD with 3+ years (Sr. Principal)
- Knowledge of fixed-wing aircraft aerodynamics
- Experience using aerodynamic tools and techniques
- Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data
- Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP)
- Degree in Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering with concentration in aerodynamics
- Current DoD Secret or Top-Secret security clearance and SAP (preferred)
- Experience generating aerodynamic databases for 6-DOF simulation and conducting 6-DOF stores trajectory/separation analyses
- Experience with onsite wind tunnel testing, two-body separation tests, and data acquisition systems
- Experience supporting ground and flight test events and analyzing collected data
- Familiarity with DOD safety board processes for store separation
- Fortran, C/C++ and/or Python programming skills
Northrop Grumman Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northrop Grumman and has not been reviewed or approved by Northrop Grumman.
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Retirement Support — 401(k) matching is considered strong, with additional defined-benefit coverage for certain cohorts and options like catch-up contributions. Retirement programs are repeatedly highlighted as a core strength of the total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO, company-paid holidays, and compressed work schedules (such as 9/80) provide meaningful time away and flexibility. These scheduling options are cited as a major quality-of-life benefit across many locations.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave alongside caregiver leave, adoption assistance, and back-up care supports a range of family needs. These programs have been expanded recently, signaling continued investment in family support.
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