Director 2 Engineering and Chief Engineer

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman · Aerospace · Palmdale, CA +1 · Systems/Architecture/Test

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Director 2 Engineering and Chief Engineer to manage a multi-disciplinary engineering team, focusing on technical performance and oversight for a classified program. Responsibilities include ensuring engineering process adherence, managing roadmaps for build-to-print capabilities and large-scale automation, providing R&D prototyping oversight, staffing, proposal development, and maintaining design authority for complex structural assemblies. The role requires strong leadership, architecting, and communication skills, with technical depth in aircraft fabrication and assembly, particularly composites.

What you'd actually do

  1. Ensure the engineering team adheres to sound engineering processes across all disciplines
  2. Manage, develop, and maintain engineering roadmaps for build-to-print capabilities, large-scale automation and provide technical oversight for R&D prototyping
  3. Ensure staffing needs are met while providing development, hiring, and initiatives to retain effective engineering team
  4. Design, development, lead preparation of and approve technical and cost inputs for all new proposals and ECPs to achieve program goals
  5. Maintain cognizance and integration over technical activities operating units and ensure horizontal integration of the best engineering practices across the business unit

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or other related Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline with at least 15 years of relevant experience; OR Master of Science (MS) in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or other related Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline with at least 13 years of relevant experience
  • 6 years of technical manager experience, including leading large, multifunctional engineering teams
  • 5 years of aircraft production or complex aircraft assembly experience of metallic or composite structures
  • Active U.S. government Secret or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance

Nice to have

  • Advanced degree(s) in Business/Management and/or Engineering
  • Composite and Metallic structure MRB experience
  • Aircraft producibility initiative management and issue resolution
  • Experience in manufacturing processes and tool development

What the JD emphasized

  • Active U.S. government Secret or higher clearance
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance