Flight Test Engineer/ Principal Flight Test Engineer – Unmanned Air Vehicles
Ngc· Defense· Jul 10, 2026 · 4mo agoPosted 109 days ago
Patuxent River, MD
In office
Full-time
Principal
$104K–$155K
2+ years exp
Before you apply
Ghost Signal:
Open since July 10, 2026 — 109 days, and still accepting applications.
Job description
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 has an opening for a Flight Test Engineer/ Principal Flight Test Engineer - Unmanned Air Vehicles to join the team of qualified individuals. Position is located in Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD.
The MQ-4C Triton test team has an opening for an FTE to write test plans and conduct developmental ground and flight tests. Candidates must be willing to learn the role of flight test engineering and the requisite organizational support in executing flight test programs.
Key Responsibilities:
Participate in all facets of flight test planning and execution in multiple areas including requirements development, test planning, test event preparation, and test coordination.
Planning the event (preparing flight profiles and test cards, etc.), briefing (pre/post), leading the event, and completing post event reporting such as a flash report.
Coordinate appropriate resources and assets for the event (aircrew, airspace, etc.) with the scheduling team in support of the test event.
Chase vehicle duties.
Obtaining an airfield driver’s license and completing a qualification training plan.
Interface with the customer to assist in the development and modification of test plans as required to support test.
We offer flexible work arrangements, 4/10 work schedule with every Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.
Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.
*Position may be filled at either level depending on qualifications below*
Basic Qualifications for Level 2:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 2 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master s degree AND 0 years of related professional/military experience.
Basic Qualifications for Level 3:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master s degree AND 3 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Ph.D. AND 1 year of related professional/military experience.
Basic Qualifications for Both Levels:
Must have an active US Government Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
Ability to obtain and maintain US Government Top Secret clearance
Your ability to transfer and maintain the final adjudicated U.S. government Secret clearance (must be in-scope or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation) and any program access(es) required for the position within a reasonable period of time , as determined by the Company
Must be willing to work a flexible work schedule that may include extended shifts, weekends, and holidays.
Must be able to work plane-side both indoors and outside.
Preferred Qualifications:
SIGINT/ESM/RADAR/EO/IR fight test experience desired.
Experience in unmanned air vehicle flight test execution.
Previously qualified Test Conductor with control room experience.
Previous experience working in an Integrated Test Team.
Experience and working knowledge of NAVINST 3960 test planning process.
DOD Top Secret clearance and the ability to obtain and retain a Special Access Program clearance.
#Blue
Primary Level Salary Range: $83,400.00 - $125,200.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00
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.
Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit northropgrumman.com. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
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Health Insurance
Pto
Paid Time Off