Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Principal Flight Test Engineer - Unmanned Air Vehicles to join the team of qualified individuals. Position is located in Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD.
The MQ-4C Triton test team has an opening for an FTE to write test plans and conduct developmental ground and flight tests. Candidates must be willing to learn the role of flight test engineering and the requisite organizational support in executing flight test programs.
Key Responsibilities:
Participate in all facets of flight test planning and execution in multiple areas including requirements development, test planning, test event preparation, and test coordination.
Planning the event (preparing flight profiles and test cards, etc.), briefing (pre/post), leading the event, and completing post event reporting such as a flash report.
Coordinate appropriate resources and assets for the event (aircrew, airspace, etc.) with the scheduling team in support of the test event.
Chase vehicle duties.
Obtaining an airfield driver’s license and completing a qualification training plan.
Interface with the customer to assist in the development and modification of test plans as required to support test.
We offer flexible work arrangements, 4/10 work schedule with every Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.
Basic Qualifications:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master's degree AND 3 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Ph.D. AND 1 year of related professional/military experience.
Must have an active US Government Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
Ability to obtain and maintain US Government Top Secret clearance
Must be willing to work a flexible work schedule that may include extended shifts, weekends, and holidays.
Must be able to work plane-side both indoors and outside.
Preferred Qualifications:
Active US Government Top Secret clearance
SIGINT/ESM/RADAR/EO/IR fight test experience desired.
Experience in unmanned air vehicle flight test execution.
Previously qualified Test Conductor with control room experience.
Previous experience working in an Integrated Test Team.
Experience and working knowledge of NAVINST 3960 test planning process.
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Science in a STEM discipline AND 5 years related experience, OR Master’s AND 3 years, OR Ph.D. AND 1 year
- Active US Government Secret clearance (background investigation within past 6 years or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation)
- Ability to obtain and maintain US Government Top Secret clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance
- Willingness to work flexible schedules including extended shifts, weekends, and holidays
- Ability to work plane-side both indoors and outside
- Obtain an airfield driver's license and complete qualification training plan
- Willingness to learn and perform flight test engineering duties and organizational test support
- Travel up to 25% of the time
- Active US Government Top Secret clearance
- SIGINT/ESM/RADAR/EO/IR flight test experience
- Experience in unmanned air vehicle flight test execution
- Previously qualified Test Conductor with control room experience
- Experience working in an Integrated Test Team
- Working knowledge of NAVINST 3960 test planning process
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Northrop Grumman Insights
What We Do
We are a close-knit community of big thinkers collaborating to keep the world safe. Our passion, creativity and expertise bring next-level technology solutions to life in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, space, and logistics and modernization for our customers around the globe. On the Northrop Grumman team, you’ll join our pursuit of excellence immersed in a dynamic culture of innovation and respect. Your unique perspective will help achieve our shared vision for the future of global security. Every step of the way, you'll be supported by world-class training, employee resource groups and a comprehensive benefits package that enables greater health and happiness for you and your family. Worldwide and across disciplines, we’re challenging what’s possible for technology to protect people and places from undersea to outer space and into cyberspace. And we see the impact of our performance every day. We are Northrop Grumman, and we work on what matters—now, you too can make a difference. Explore opportunities in engineering, IT, manufacturing, business management, cybersecurity and more with us. Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
