Propulsion Systems Subject Matter Expert

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

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 (NGAS) has an opening for a Principal Engineering Planning Analyst (Propulsion Systems Subject Matter Expert) to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be located in Melbourne, Florida.

The Propulsion Systems Subject Matter Expert serves as the technical authority for propulsion system integration and associated technical data for a major aerospace platform. This role leads propulsion design and implementation reviews, performance analysis, and trade studies, while ensuring that maintenance task analyses and technical data are accurate, complete, and fully usable through interactive electronic technical manuals. The Propulsion Systems Subject Matter Expert drives resolution of complex technical issues, leads supplier and customer technical engagements, and ensures propulsion systems can be safely and effectively operated and maintained in the field. The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on military aircraft propulsion maintenance and troubleshooting experience, strong technical data and interactive electronic technical manual expertise, and a proven record of technical leadership and mentorship.

Key Responsibilities

• •Serve as the propulsion systems subject matter expert and technical authority for propulsion integration into the platform, ensuring resulting maintenance task analyses and technical data are accurate, complete, and reliable for field use through interactive electronic technical manuals.
• •Lead and critically review propulsion system design, performance analyses, and trade studies to ensure mission, cost, and schedule objectives are achieved.
• •Conduct propulsion system implementation design reviews, providing authoritative feedback to ensure technical soundness, safety, maintainability, and compliance with requirements.
• •Perform detailed supplier data reviews to verify completeness, consistency, and technical accuracy of propulsion hardware documentation and data deliverables.
• •Review maintenance task analyses and related products, providing expert input to ensure accurate, maintainable, and user-focused technical data for fielded systems.
• •Participate in or chair technical review boards to validate technical changes, evaluate their impact on propulsion system performance, and ensure downstream effects on technical data and maintenance are fully understood, documented, and controlled.
• •Assist with technical data module development, working closely with a large team of technical writers to ensure propulsion-related content is technically correct, unambiguous, and aligned with engineering baselines and configuration control.
• •Support the development, validation, and verification of technical data to ensure the propulsion system can be safely and effectively operated and maintained in the field, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance tasks, inspections, servicing, line replaceable unit replacement, and troubleshooting.
• •Lead and support internal and external technical engagements with vendors, suppliers, customers, and government stakeholders to ensure propulsion system technical content and deliverables meet program, contractual, and end-user requirements.
• •Support integration of propulsion systems with airframe, structural, thermal, power, and control systems, identifying interface risks and driving resolution of integration issues.
• •Perform and oversee modeling and simulation of propulsion performance, including thrust, efficiency, thermal management, operability, and durability.
• •Provide root-cause analysis and corrective action leadership for propulsion-related anomalies, test discrepancies, and field issues.
• •Guide and review test plans and procedures for component, subsystem, and system-level propulsion testing, ensuring test objectives and data needs are met.
• •Collaborate with suppliers to ensure technical compliance, product quality, and on-time delivery of propulsion hardware and associated data.
• •Develop and maintain propulsion-related technical documentation, including design reports, analysis summaries, test reports, risk assessments, and decision records.
• •Mentor engineers and contribute to the development and continuous improvement of internal standards, best practices, and design guidelines for propulsion systems and technical data.
• •Present technical findings, risks, and recommendations to internal leadership, customers, and review boards in a clear, concise, and defensible manner.
• •Demonstrate strong knowledge, understanding, use, and interpretation of United States Air Force technical data manuals and associated data handling requirements.
• •Work in proximity to operating propulsion systems during test and evaluation activities with appropriate protective equipment in flightline or maintenance environments.
• •Remain focused on complex technical data and analyses for extended periods and to make sound judgments under schedule and mission pressure.
• •Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex technical topics to engineering, leadership, and customer audiences.
• •Ability to work in cross-functional teams and collaborate effectively with stakeholders across engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, and customers.
• •Ability to lead complex technical efforts, drive issue resolution, and make sound, data-driven engineering decisions.

Basic Qualifications:

• •Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of hands-on military or civilian equivalent experience in propulsion systems maintenance and troubleshooting; OR Masters degree 3 years of experience. In lieu of formal degree, will consider 9 years of experience.
• •Strong working knowledge of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, combustion, and mechanical design as applied to propulsion systems.
• •Experience with propulsion performance modeling and digital engineering tools and associated analysis methods.
• •Ability to work full-time on site in a laboratory/office environment.
• •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

• •Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) Discipline.
• •Experience with military aircraft propulsion, including backshop maintenance and flightline propulsion system maintenance on turbine engines, including troubleshooting, schematic and wiring data interpretation, and component replacement.
• •Hands-on experience with propulsion test cell programs at the component, engine, or flight test level.
• •Familiarity with systems engineering practices, requirements development, and verification and validation processes.
• •Experience working on United States Department of Defense or aerospace and defense programs with knowledge of applicable standards, airworthiness, and regulatory frameworks.
• •Background in reliability, safety, and hazard analysis methods for propulsion systems.
• •Airframe and powerplant license.
• •Experi