Staff Engineer - Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC)

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 is looking for a Staff Engineer - Guidance Navigation Controls to support the Vehicle Engineering organization in Rancho Bernardo, CA or El Segundo, CA.

The selected candidate will support research and development of flight control algorithms for manned and unmanned air vehicles. This is a dynamic and fun organization involved in deploying forward-leaning avionics, guidance, navigation, and control systems for developmental concepts for air vehicles, weapons, and many more platforms. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead, design, develop, implement, verify, and test algorithms, software, and simulation tools to perform guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) of autonomous unmanned aircraft.
• Lead control law development to meet air vehicle performance, flying qualities, and stability margin requirements both on ground and in flight.
• Design outer and inner loop control laws and associated logic and autonomy functions.
• Develop air vehicle system linear and non-linear dynamic simulation models and integrate models into software and hardware-in-the-loop simulation environments.
• Execute performance and flying qualities analysis.
• Support non-linear simulation and hardware-in-the-loop lab testing.
• Support flight test activities and analyze air vehicle flight test data.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) with 12 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a relevant STEM discipline with 10 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a relevant STEM discipline with 8 years of related engineering experience.
• Working knowledge of fixed-wing aircraft flight dynamics.
• Experience using linear control principles and tools to design feedback control systems.
• Experience analyzing non-linear simulations of aircraft closed-loop dynamics.
• Working knowledge of outer/inner loop control law performance requirements.
• Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data.
• Experience using Simulink to model dynamic systems.
• Experience using Simulink Stateflow Modeling
• Experience designing autopilot functions.
• Experience with logic, modes, and states for autonomous aircraft.
• Experience with Python and/or C/C++ programming.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 15% of the time.
• Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Education).
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Fifteen plus (15+) years of experience in aeronautical Guidance Navigation and Controls.
• Experience with crewed/uncrewed teaming algorithms such as performing a Combat Air Patrol (CAP), formation flight, hold patterns.
• Familiar with in-flight routing behaviors for Sense and Avoid, 4D keep out/keep in zones, terminal guidance
• Familiar with autonomy algorithms (autonomous taxi/ take-off and landing, etc.) for driving control laws.
• Experience with survivable systems and requirements
• Working knowledge of SAE-94910 performance requirements.
• Excellent communication, analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• A current active in-scope U.S. Government DoD Top Secret clearance with current or previous Special Program Access (SAP/PAR).

Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00

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 http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.