Staff Engineer Aeronautical - Flight Sciences Analysis Discipline Lead

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company renowned for its pioneering advancements and revolutionary systems that impact lives worldwide. With a rich history marked by groundbreaking achievements such as the first transatlantic flight, stealth bombers, and moon landings, Northrop Grumman continues to push the boundaries of innovation. The company fosters a culture of intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity, and a drive to achieve what others deem impossible. Employees at Northrop Grumman are empowered to bring their whole selves to work, contributing to a collaborative environment that values bold ideas, courage, and a pioneering spirit to invent the future. Northrop Grumman offers exciting career opportunities where individuals are not only part of history but actively making history through cutting-edge technology and impactful missions.

Within Northrop Grumman, the Aeronautics Systems division is continuously evolving its Engineering organization to accelerate decision-making and enhance execution across complex aerospace projects. The focus is on equipping teams with improved processes, tools, and technical training designed to foster growth and technical excellence. The Flight Sciences Analysis discipline within the Vehicle Engineering Center of Technical Excellence (CoTE) plays a pivotal role in this transformation. As a recognized leader in aeronautical engineering, this CoTE drives relentless improvement to ensure the company’s capabilities remain ahead of emerging technological challenges and opportunities.

The Staff Engineer Aeronautical - Flight Sciences Analysis Discipline Lead serves as a critical leadership role reporting to the Aeronautics Systems Flight Sciences & Vehicle Integration Director. This position is responsible for advancing the technical discipline of Flight Sciences Analysis by owning sector-wide processes, technical standards, tools, and training initiatives. The role involves collaborating with various stakeholders, including other discipline leads, engineering organizations, and corporate and sector leadership to ensure compliance and technical excellence across multiple Flight Sciences sub-disciplines such as Aerodynamics, Performance, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Configuration, and Propulsion.

This leadership position demands expertise in both technical and strategic domains. The Discipline Lead is charged with developing and maintaining discipline-specific technical principles, operating practices, process asset libraries, and integrated toolsets, all while driving workforce capability improvements. The leader acts as a trusted adviser to program execution teams, helping to resolve technical performance issues through root cause analysis and continuous process optimization. They foster a strong community of practice by leading working groups that promote knowledge sharing and alignment on strategic priorities across programs.

With a flexible geographic footprint that includes key locations such as Melbourne (FL), Palmdale (CA), San Diego (CA), South Bay (CA), Oklahoma City (OK), and Mississippi sites, Northrop Grumman offers opportunities for candidates to be based at various centers of excellence. The salary range for this position is broad, reflecting the scope and seniority, from $144,900 to $265,600 annually, with additional compensation possibilities like overtime, bonuses, and long-term incentives based on the role and individual contributions. Benefits include comprehensive health insurance, life and disability coverage, retirement savings plans, paid holidays, and paid time off.

Candidates for this role must hold at minimum a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with significant industry experience, possess an active U.S. Government Secret clearance or higher, and be eligible for Special Program Access. Ideal candidates bring proven leadership skills, deep expertise in aerospace engineering lifecycle processes, and experience with digital design initiatives. This role is essential for driving the future of aerospace engineering at Northrop Grumman, offering an unmatched platform to influence next-generation aerospace technologies and foster a high-performing technical workforce.