Sr Staff Test Pilot

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman · Aerospace · Melbourne, FL +1 · Flight Operations Mult-Func

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Senior Staff Test Pilot to support the design, development, and certification of aircraft and air systems. This role involves working with Integrated Product Teams, Chief Engineer, and systems engineers to validate and verify aircraft design and performance. Responsibilities include building and sustaining test pilot cadres, contributing to air vehicle and cockpit design, providing flight experienced leadership, directing engineers on test planning and execution, performing initial flights on prototypes, and developing test standards and manuals. Requires a Bachelor's degree with significant experience, military test pilot school graduation, Top Secret clearance, extensive tactical aircraft pilot time, and prior developmental test program experience.

What you'd actually do

  1. Building and sustaining a cadre of skilled test pilots and production pilots to safely execute the flight test program
  2. Ensure early and effective contributions to air vehicle design, cockpit/crew station design and Pilot Vehicle Interface areas
  3. Provide flight experienced leadership in critical program phases and reviews, such as SRR, PDR, CDR, FRR, and TRR
  4. Perform initial flights on prototypes and test articles for new clean sheet air vehicles
  5. Plan, develop, and perform flight tests to verify air worthiness, performance capabilities, and mission effectiveness using various simulators, surrogate aircraft, test-bed aircraft, and the program air vehicle.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor's Degree in Science and 14 years of experience or a Master's Degree in Science and 12 years of experience or a PhD and 10 years of experience
  • Military Test Pilot School graduate of USNTPS, USAFTPS, Empire Test Pilots School, or EPNER
  • Ability to transfer and maintain the final adjudicated government Top Secret clearance
  • Ability to obtain and hold an FAA Second Class medical certificate
  • Minimum of 1,250 hours tactical aircraft pilot time with 500 hours as Pilot in Command (PIC)
  • Previous experience as a test pilot in a developmental test program
  • Aircraft carrier pilot experience (>150 arrested landings)
  • Strong leadership and communication skills with relevant flight test leadership experience

Nice to have

  • Weapons School graduate
  • 5th Generation fighter flight hours
  • Multi-Engine Land and Single Engine Land FAA Commercial pilot license
  • 737 Type Certification
  • Knowledge and experience with risk management and mitigation
  • Previous experience leading a military or corporate test organization
  • Master’s degree in a related STEM field

What the JD emphasized

  • Top Secret clearance
  • Military Test Pilot School graduate
  • minimum of 1,250 hours tactical aircraft pilot time
  • previous experience as a test pilot in a developmental test program
  • aircraft carrier pilot experience (>150 arrested landings)