Manager Aeronautical Engineering 2 - Liaison Engineering

About the role

• RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
• CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
• CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
• TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

About the role

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon.

We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for Manager Aeronautical Engineering 2 - Liaison Engineering to join the team of qualified individuals on our Vehicle Engineering team. This leadership role is located onsite in Palmdale, CA.

In this role you will serve as the Section Manager (SM) for Liaison Engineering on the F‑35 program within the Palmdale Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence (PAICoE), reporting to the Vehicle Engineering Liaison Engineering Department Manager. You will lead a growing team of 15–20 Liaison Engineers and play a key role in ensuring aircraft build quality by driving the disposition of nonconforming metallic and composite parts and assemblies, as well as subsystem nonconformance.

In this role you will be responsible for functional leadership activities including recruiting, staffing, retaining talent, leading weekly team meetings, conducting bi‑weekly 1:1 discussions, and driving performance reviews (approximately 20% of your time).

You will partner closely with the Vehicle Engineering Liaison Engineering Department Manager by supporting the NGAS Community of Practice and advancing common processes and best practices. You are expected to be deeply knowledgeable—and ideally a Subject Matter Expert—in the Liaison Engineering discipline. Experience with CATIA and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) is strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to

• Provide day‑to‑day leadership for a team of approximately 15–20 Liaison Engineers supporting the F‑35 program within the Palmdale Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence.
• Maintain staffing forecasts and align staffing levels, skill mix, and shift coverage to meet current and forecasted program demand.
• Provide technical and process oversight for the Liaison Engineering team, serving as the primary escalation point for complex nonconformance issues.

Additional information

Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding yourself and others accountable to meet predictable and balanced results. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, We pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others.

Basic Qualifications

• Must have a Bachelor’s of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 9 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master’s degree of Science AND 7 years of related professional/military experience.
• Experience with Geometric, Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Experience in a technical leadership/management role.
• Experience with Teamcenter, CATIA V5 and/or NX-CAD.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Civil Engineering (Structures) with Design emphasis.
• Experience with CATIA and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
• Expert knowledge of Geometric, Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Knowledge of NGC best design practices and applicable processes.
• Demonstrated affordability approaches in structural designs, including integration of platform build sequences and designing for manufacturing.
• 5 years of aircraft/spacecraft design experience, including clean sheet airframe layout, detailed drawing releases, and supporting build.
• Active, In-Scope US Government Secret clearance
• Ability to obtain a US Government Top Secret clearance
• Ability to obtain and maintain SSBI and/or Special Program Access.
• Experience in staffing forecasting.
• Experience with the full life cycle of an air/space vehicle design process.
• Recent experience as structural design lead.
• Team player and demonstrated exceptional collaboration.
• Material Review Board (MRB) Authority.

Primary Level Salary Range

$161,100.00 - $241,700.00

The 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.