Staff /Sr Principal Pilot Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Northrop Grumman

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Beale AFB, California

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PERMANENT

Updated 09/17/2026

Job Description

Job Summary

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE

Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START

Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE

Top SecretTRAVEL:

Yes, 25 of the TimeDescriptionAt Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact peoples 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 nations 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, theyre making history.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Staff/Sr. Principal Pilot Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be located at Beale AFB, CA.

Roles and Responsibilities will include:

• Deliver formal training unit instruction in laboratory and classroom environments.
• Subject Matter Expert (SME) to include, but not limited to formal student training, airmanship, aircraft systems & performance and development and execution of operational training guides.
• Conduct briefing and debriefing and coordinate with maintenance and engineering personnel to analyze and correct discrepancies.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25 may be required.

Basic Qualifications

Sr. Principal Level - Bachelors degree with 8 years aviation experience; OR Masters' degree with 6 years aviation experience; OR a PhD with 4 years aviation experience

Staff Level - Bachelors degree with 12 years aviation experience; OR Masters' degree with 10 years aviation experience; OR a PhD with 8 years aviation experience

UAV flight experience and/or Military flight experience. Minimum of 500 hours as Pilot in Command.

Military formal training unit or Squadron level instructor Experience with crew/cockpit resource management (CRM)

Experience developing, delivering and sustaining training

Experience with crew/cockpit resource management (CRM)

Proficient with Microsoft Office Applications (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)

Active USG Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).

Ability to acquire and maintain TS/SCI and Special Program Access (PAR) per business requirements. This PAR must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

Active USG Top Secret SCI clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).

Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.

FAA instrument rated pilot (or military equivalent).

Flight test operations experience

Experience in multi-crewmember aircraft (manned or unmanned)

Mission planning experience

Technical order writing experience

Experience in Risk Assessments and Root Cause Analysis

mpr. asmt

Primary Level Salary Range:

$149,300.00 - $223,900.00

Secondary Level Salary Range:

$0.00 - $0.00The 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 candidates 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.

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