Job Description

Description

Climb to new heights on your journey when you start Defining Possible with Northrop Grumman. Enjoy a purposeful career in aeronautics that is crucial to the way we connect and protect our world across land, sea, and air. Bring your experience and take advantage of this opportunity to discover how you can start to push past possible and achieve your goals today. Enjoy a diverse, collaborative environment with professionals across the nation ready to help launch your career.

The B-2 Chief Developmental Test Pilot is a Staff Test Pilot position (Level 5) that provides oversight and guidance to ensure safe and professional flight operations in support of flight test, demonstrations and product development of associated systems. The Chief Pilot collaborates with the Flight Ops Manager to maintain cognizance over all flight activities and ensures compliance with sector policies/procedures and Service guidance, to include DCMA policy compliance. Supports B-2 Program Depot Maintenance (PDM) at Palmdale, CA; primary duty location and role is support to ground amp; flight tests at Edwards AFB, CA. Reports to the Director, Systems Test for B-2 Program IPT and the Functional SIT amp;E Director for Edwards AFB.

Position starts in Palmdale, CA for 12-18 months in support of the B-2 Display Modernization Program but will permanently transition to Edwards AFB. The selected candidate will support Developmental Flight Test at Edwards AFB and Whiteman AFB as their primary responsibility, to include Developmental Lab Test at the WSSC in Oklahoma City, OK; travel to Whiteman AFB and/or Oklahoma City required approximately 20% of the time.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Provides test pilot expertise to assigned programs; technology/research efforts to ensure man-machine interface issues and requirements are identified for new or modified aircraft designs
Plan, develop and execute test flights on B-2 aircraft to verify airworthiness and performance capability; validate and verify compliance with specifications and to determine operational effectiveness and/or suitability
Pilot B-2 aircraft on delivery and ferry flights
Partners with Flight Ops Manager and Aviation Safety Officer; ensures test team is conducting safe and effective ground and flight test operations
Collaborates with customer pilots
Performs as Single Pilot Voice to NG Program IPTs and NG Program Manager on effectiveness and suitability deficiencies of the system design as it relates to performing pilot tasks
Engage with program IPTs and REs to ensure air vehicle and ground station designs/modifications are effective and suitable
Provides test pilot inputs at FRR, TRRs and SRBs ensuring safe conduct of all NGAS flight test missions
Ensures best practices and lessons learned are shared with program pilots and other chief pilots
Provides engineering test pilot expertise and safety guidance to flight test engineers for design definition, simulator flights, test planning, flight test techniques, test conduct, test reporting and proposal preparation
Provide test pilot inputs to System Safety to ensure safe conduct of B-2 flight test missions
Provides pilot inputs into development of preliminary flight manuals and aircrew checklists
In conjunction with Flight Ops Manager, develop and maintain program specific procedures and requirements for flight test crew qualification and training to support applicable regulations and contract requirements (FAR, FAA, Tri-Service Regulations)
Brief Program Chief Engineer, IPT Managers, and Program Manager on Program Test Pilot responsibilities
Maintain B-2 proficiencies and currencies; also must obtain and maintain proficiencies and currencies on the Firebird or other Flying Test Bed aircraft as required
Promotes active involvement in flight test professional societies and industry forums; fully supports Test Communities of Practice (CoPs) and Flight Test Safety Summits
Collaborate and serve as NG B-2 Program Lead with DCMA for Edwards AFB; ensure full compliance with DCMA policies, procedures, and audits/inspections

ACCOUNTABILITY

Complies with Corporate, Sector, and Program policy and procedures; maintains appropriate certificates and remains knowledgeable of the program system under test and current FAA rules and applicable service regulations
Qualification

Basic Qualifications:

bull; 14 Years with BS STEM degree; 12 Years with STEM Masters; 9 Years with STEM PhD
bull; 1,500 first-pilot flight hours minimum
bull; Military or Civilian equivalent Test Pilot School (TPS) Graduate
bull; Valid FAA commercial pilot certificate or higher
bull; Current FAA Class II Medical
bull; Current DoD Secret clearance with investigation in last 5 years; ability to obtain and maintain any required B-2 Program PARs
bull; Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
bull; Excellent communications skills, including the ability to brief test results to executive leadership

Preferred Qualifications:
bull; Current, proficient, and qualified on the B-2
bull; Current DoD Top Secret, TS SAP, or TS SCI clearance
bull; Experience in flight testing, with ability to work with engineering to develop solutions to integration issues, and to bridge between the customer users and Northrop Grumman designers
bull; Demonstrated mentoring and coaching skills