Manager 2 Electrical Engineering - FPGA -Tactical Space Systems - Dulles

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

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.

We are looking for an experienced Engineering Manager to head a team of FPGA engineers on satellite development programs. This role demands a blend of adept leadership, technical supervision, and collaborative skills. The position entails utilizing both strong technical expertise and effective people management abilities. Day to day activities include indirect team management tasks as well as providing direct technical support to programs. The split between direct program technical support  and indirect functional management duties will be approximately 70% direct and 30% indirect.

In this role, you will manage project activities related to research and product development, enforce quality processes, lead a team of engineers, uphold technical excellence, and contribute to technological growth and innovation. Your duties will involve establishing high benchmarks, enhancing team performance, nurturing a skilled team, and handling personnel matters such as work assignments, performance & salary review, and hiring.

Management Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of engineers in FPGA design and development for space-based systems.
• Foster a high-performing team culture through coaching, mentoring, and career development.
• Oversee resource planning, scheduling, and workload distribution across multiple projects.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes, documentation, and technical quality.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and support compensation planning activities.
• Advocate for team capabilities in internal and external program and strategy meetings.
• Contribute to the recruitment, onboarding, and retention of top engineering talent.
• Champion adherence to quality, safety, and compliance standards in all deliverables.

Technical Responsibilities:

• Provide technical oversight and guidance on FPGA design, implementation, simulation, and verification.
• Participate in architecture reviews, design reviews, and peer code reviews.
• Support cross-functional integration of FPGA designs with hardware, software, and systems teams.
• Help guide troubleshooting to resolve complex technical issues that impact program deliverables.
• Assist in writing technical proposals, supporting cost estimates, and managing schedules.
• Occasionally contribute directly to FPGA development tasks including VHDL/Verilog design, testbench creation, and lab validation.
• Maintain awareness of evolving FPGA technologies and best practices, and help guide team adoption where appropriate.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or other related STEM field.
• Minimum 5 years of engineering experience in the aerospace or space systems industry.
• Minimum 2 years in a formal technical leadership or supervisory role.
• Solid understanding of FPGA development processes and associated toolchains (e.g., Xilinx, Microsemi, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven ability to lead, coach, and inspire technical teams.
• Experience developing and executing individual development plans for team members.
• Working knowledge of space flight hardware design, digital electronics, and FPGA development for avionics applications.
• Familiarity with space/aerospace design standards.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Master’s degree or relevant certifications in engineering or leadership are a plus.

Success Factors:

• Able to manage ambiguity and context-switch between strategic leadership and technical detail.
• Values team collaboration over individual heroics.
• Brings emotional intelligence and maturity to difficult conversations and performance discussions.