Senior Systems Engineer jobs at AeroVironment - 983 jobs

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 Manager Manufacturing Systems Engineering 3 This leadership role is located in Palmdale, CA but can be located in San Diego, CA or El Segundo, CA with travel expectations. The Manager Manufacturing Systems Engineering 3 will have the responsibility of providing organizational and technical leadership and direction across the Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) portfolio. This position involves leading production approaches for intelligent manufacturing, flexible facilities, and low‑cost high‑rate manufacturing, which will include the following responsibilities: Key Responsibilities Drive the evolution of production facilities with integrated digital thread, artificial intelligence, automation, and flexible configurations. Lead evaluation and implementation of enabling production technologies, including but not limited to composites fabrication, assembly, automation, inspection, direct part manufacturing, LO technologies, as well as digital capabilities. Work with consultants, strategic partners, universities and technical consortiums to evaluate developing technologies/approaches for manufacturing air vehicles affordably and in high quantity. Provide guidance regarding design concepts, TRL/MRL maturity, and specification requirements to best utilize resources and develop affordable manufacturing solutions. Collaborate with all ACP teams to influence product definition and assembly strategy implementing Design for Manufacturing, or “designing what we build.” Includes pushing for additive manufacturing, unitized composites, other emerging lower cost processes. Solve technical challenges with creative solutions in fast‑paced, resource‑limited manufacturing environments. Develop and refine manufacturing strategies for low‑cost high‑rate production for air vehicles, with a critical focus on safety, efficiency, cost, and quality at scale. Understand and integrate novel tooling, fabrication, and assembly solutions for production. Champion modular, flexible tooling and lean, highly repeatable or adaptable production processes. Design production layouts/production factory to support flexible cell‑based or continuous flow manufacturing. Collaborate with other emerging programs to evaluate multiple ACP product line potentially mixed with other product lines. Create detailed ramp‑up plans including labor, equipment, facilities, and supplier readiness. Develop full understanding of capital investment requirements and timing. Develop manufacturing processes and digital strategies that provide detailed intuitive work instructions to mechanics in their work environment, reducing needs for training and ability to rapidly respond to production surge requirements. Develop hiring, staffing and training plan associated with the new techniques and integrate within operations functions and locations. Establish and lead a strategic vision for scalable, cost‑effective production aligned with business goals for rapid implementation. Develop comprehensive production solutions encompassing business development, digital thread, and data. Evaluate alternatives, create and execute roadmaps, and conduct gap analyses. Champion deployment and adoption of low‑cost high‑rate manufacturing across global production, engineering, and operations teams. Monitor industry trends, competitor advancements, and global manufacturing capabilities to build and maintain technological and cost advantage. We offer flexible work arrangements, 9/80 work schedule with every other 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. 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. We pioneer: Setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others. Basic Qualifications Must have a Bachelor's Degree (STEM) AND 8 years of related professional/military experience in aviation, systems engineering, aerospace or manufacturing/production OR a Master's Degree (STEM) AND 6 years of related professional/military experience in aviation, systems engineering, aerospace or manufacturing/production. Minimum 6 years of experience leading the performance of tasks on schedule, at cost and achieving all requirements as either a project lead, integrated program team lead or manufacturing manager. Minimum 6 years of demonstrated success leading teams and/or organizations to achieve goals. Must have an active DoD Secret security clearance (US Citizenship required) as well as the ability to obtain and maintain Program Special Access. Ability to travel 20‑35% of the time. Preferred Qualifications Experience working with Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), cross‑functional stakeholders, and various customers such as Air Force and Navy. Prior experience operating in a dynamic environment of early development, low‑rate initial production and transition to high delivery rates. Prior experience working in low‑cost high‑rate manufacturing environments, whether automotive or aerospace, is highly desired. Proposal experience, and experience in other early phases of program lifecycle. Strong background in technology research portfolio management and demonstrated advancement of TRL / MRL and familiarity with DoD MRL Deskbook and Manufacturing Readiness Assessment (MRA) process. Excellent risk identification and mitigation skillsets in the development of aerospace technologies. Experience in “Design for Manufacturing” methodologies. Experience developing flexible factories and driving rapid technology implementation. Experience developing and deploying artificial intelligence tools for production environments. Experience developing and deploying digital thread/twin, or other data integration and prescriptive tools. Experience developing and deploying automation. Experience with composites unitization, bonded composite assemblies and determinant assembly techniques. Primary Level Salary Range $187,000.00 - $280,600.00 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. 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 *********************************** U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions. #J-18808-Ljbffr