Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking a Test Engineer Level 1 or 2 to lead system‑level flight testing and verification for the AARGM-ER STE development. The role will involve developing and maintaining STE drawings, red‑lining, and resolution of drawing issues to guarantee that all released drawings meet contractual, safety, and configuration‑management requirements. Candidate should be comfortable reporting constraints to upper management and complete day-to-day activities with minimal supervision. The candidate will work within a cross‑functional team and program stakeholders. Some travel will be required to support the AARGM‑ER program.
The qualified candidate will become part of Northrop Grumman’s Test and Evaluation Engineering department, Advanced Weapons division. This position is 100 % on‑site at our Northridge, CA facility; remote or hybrid work is not available. Active Secret clearance required to start.
Job Responsibilities
· Lead creation, review, and red‑lining of STE drawings, ensuring compliance with GD&T principles, ASME Y14.100‑2004, and MIL‑DTL‑31000 specifications.
· Work with internal and external customers to define instrumentation, telemetry, data‑capture, and post‑flight analysis requirements.
· Manage drawing lifecycle and revision control using EPLM, tracking releases, change requests, and configuration status across the program.
· Provide technical guidance and solutions for drawing discrepancies, driving root‑cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
· Demonstrate expertise with data‑analysis tools such as Visio, LabVIEW, Excel, and Word Document.
· Prepare briefings (Word, PowerPoint) for senior leadership, customer representatives, and technical review panels.
· Continuously improve drawing‑release processes, incorporating lessons learned and best‑practice procedures into the EPLM workflow.
· Participate in and/or lead Technical Review Boards, CRBs and other technical reviews related to drawing updates.
Basic Qualifications – Level 1
· Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 0-2 years of relevant experience
· Familiar with using Creo, Visio, EPLM in previous roles.
· Experience with drawing creation, release, and redlining for missile or aerospace systems, including use of GD&T or ASME standards.
· Familiar with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
· Ability to obtain Active Secret clearance.
Basic Qualifications – Level 2
· Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline + 2 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 0 years of experience.
· Proficiency with using Creo, Visio, EPLM in previous roles.
· Proven engineering experience with drawing creation, release, and redlining for missile or aerospace systems, including use of GD&T or ASME standards.
· Familiar with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
· Active Secret clearance.
Preferred Qualifications
· Previous Design experience with electrical cable, STE racks, RF, and CCA Design
· Experience articulating drawing‑release strategies, red‑line solutions, and risk assessments to senior leadership, customers, and cross‑functional teams.
· Author comprehensive drawing‑release packages, revision histories, and compliance reports that meet ASME Y14.100‑2004 and MIL‑DTL‑3100 specifications.
· Lead root‑cause‑corrective‑action investigations for drawing and tolerance violations, delivering actionable solutions and preventive measures.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present technical approaches, flight‑test results, and risk assessments clearly to diverse audiences.
Primary Level Salary Range: $69,400.00 - $104,000.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $83,400.00 - $125,200.00The 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 a STEM discipline
- 0-2 years relevant experience (Level 1)
- 2 years relevant experience (Level 2)
- Master's degree in a STEM discipline (qualifies for Level 2 with 0 years experience)
- Proficiency/familiarity with Creo, Visio, and EPLM
- Experience creating, releasing, and red-lining drawings for missile or aerospace systems using GD&T and ASME standards
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Active Secret clearance required to start
- Ability to obtain Active Secret clearance
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.
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.








