Environmental Lab Lead

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking an Environmental Laboratory Lead to support the Common Products Test Engineering organization in Rancho Bernardo, CA. Selected candidate must be within commutable distance from site.

The Environmental Laboratory Lead oversees the planning, direction, and day-to-day operation of the environmental testing laboratory. The role is accountable for maintaining regulatory compliance, ensuring data integrity, promoting safe work practices, and providing timely analytical support for site environmental monitoring, production, and engineering needs.

• Lead the Environmental Testing team responsible for thermal vacuum (TVAC), thermal cycling, random vibration, and shock testing of flight hardware.
• Own and coordinate environmental test campaign schedules across programs, aligning chamber and facility capacity with production and qualification milestones.
• Develop, review, and maintain test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria that meet program requirements and applicable industry standards.
• Collaborate with design and systems engineering teams to define and refine environmental test requirements at the component, subsystem, and vehicle levels.
• Oversee the calibration, maintenance, and qualification of environmental test equipment, chambers, and related facilities.
• Work closely with quality assurance to ensure test data is fully traceable, accurately documented, and compliant with program and regulatory expectations.
• Support failure analysis and root cause investigations for anomalies identified during environmental testing, driving corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with suppliers and external test laboratories when environmental test demand or capability exceeds in house resources.
• Drive continuous improvement in test throughput, facility utilization, and overall data quality.
• Consistently meet production and qualification schedules while adapting to evolving program priorities and constraints.
• Good communication, computer, documentation, presentation, and interpersonal skills are required, as well as the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8 years of related engineering experience; OR Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 6 years of related experience; OR PhD in a STEM discipline with 4 years of related experience
• Minimum 7 years of experience in environmental testing (TVAC, vibration and shock)
• Minimum 1 year of experience managing, mentoring, and developing a team
• Experience debugging, troubleshooting and verifying test stations
• Ability to apply technical knowledge to analyze, investigate and resolve production line faults during acceptance testing
• Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance and or Special Program Access within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

• undefined

• Strong understanding of MIL-STD-810 and/or RTCA DO-160 (equipment-level environmental test methods) and MIL-HDBK-516 (airworthiness / system-level criteria)
• Hands-on experience operating TVAC chambers, shaker tables, and shock test equipment
• Experience with test automation and data acquisition systems
• Familiarity with structural and thermal analysis as it relates to test correlation
• Strong root-cause problem-solving skills
• Experience supporting cleanroom integration and test operations
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing / Six Sigma