Physicist - Level 5

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No CLEARANCE TYPE: None TRAVEL: No 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’s Space Sector is seeking a Physicist - Level 5 to join our team in Chandler, AZ. In this role, you will; Serve as a test and project engineering lead for rain erosion and lightning direct effects on aerospace materials and structures, working closely with senior survivability leadership to ensure test efforts are aligned with vehicle-level hardening strategies.  The successful candidate will: (1) design, plan, and execute material response tests at internal and external facilities; (2) synthesize test results into clear technical conclusions; and (3) translate those conclusions into survivability assessments and material/design recommendations.  Strong materials science fundamentals and experience with extreme military launch vehicle flight environments are essential to understanding and explaining test outcomes. Key Responsibilities • Evaluate materials for use in extreme aerospace environments including lightning, flight heating, and supersonic/hypersonic rain. • Design, plan, execute, and report on rain erosion and lightning direct effects tests. • Interface with external test facilities and suppliers to define scope, develop/review procedures, witness tests as needed, and resolve • Independently synthesize test results into clear technical conclusions and communicate those conclusions to non-specialist stakeholders (program leadership, systems engineering, suppliers). • Lead a team consisting of both junior engineers/scientists and senior/Fellow-level contributors, maintaining focus on objectives while encouraging technical input. • Guard against scope creep, keep complex efforts on task, and ensure that tests/analyses align with program schedules and priorities. • Produce clear, consistent documentation that can be understood and built upon by others years later. Basic Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree with 12 years of experience, master's degree with 10 years of experience or Ph.D. with 10 years of experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical fields. • U.S. citizenship • Ability to obtain US Government Secret security clearance • Demonstrated experience working hands-on with test campaigns (planning, sample fabrication, execution, data review, reporting), not just analysis or paper studies. • Strong project engineering skills with multiple demonstrated examples of driving technical projects to completion.  Ability to build rapport/confidence with leadership, peers, and support staff to get the job done. • Demonstrated ability to maintain technical rigor under aggressive schedule pressure. • Highly structured, focused, and methodical thinker with strong organizational skills. • Background in materials science, especially structural/thermal aerospace materials. • Basic understanding of how materials respond to military launch vehicle