Sr Principal Product Trainer

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Sr. Principal Product Trainer to join our team of qualified individuals. Position is located in Sierra Vista, AZ.

Exciting position offers the Senior Principal Product Training & VR Courseware Developer to lead the design and development of in‑house product training courseware for field support personnel and customers, with a strong focus on immersive virtual reality (VR) training. This role obtains technical information from Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs), engineering documentation, and subject matter experts; designs course content and training materials; determines instructional strategies; and oversees the creation of training aids such as mock‑ups, training videos, simulations, and VR modules.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of complex technical training courseware, including VR modules, for field support personnel and customers in accordance with contractual training requirements and annexes.
• Obtain and analyze technical data from IETMs, engineering schematics, maintenance procedures, and SMEs to ensure technical accuracy of all instructional content.
• Develop course content, lesson plans, student materials, instructor support materials, and assessments that support aircraft/system maintenance, operations, and systems readiness.
• Determine instructional strategies and methods (lecture, discussion, demonstration, simulator, VR, blended learning) and translate them into detailed storyboards and courseware specifications for instructors to deliver.
• Design and coordinate the development of training aids such as mock‑ups, technical graphics, training videos, interactive media, simulations, and VR experiences.
• Develop criteria, rubrics, and assessment instruments (written tests, practical evaluations, VR‑based performance checks) to measure learner performance and training effectiveness.
• Analyze training results and feedback, diagnose content‑related learning difficulties, and recommend or implement courseware updates and remedial training materials.
• Incorporate safety requirements, warnings, and procedures into courseware and VR training to support safe operation and maintenance practices.
• Develop and maintain train‑the‑trainer materials (e.g., instructor guides, teaching tips, lesson‑plan review checklists) to support customer‑nominated instructors and internal trainers.
• Collaborate closely with customer training centers (e.g., NISRF Training Center), NSPA technical staff, and internal stakeholders to clarify requirements, review courseware, and identify opportunities to enhance training aids.
• Capture, document, and track recommended changes to course curricula and faults discovered in delivered courseware; ensure they are reflected in Training Course Completion Reports and sustainment updates.

VR Training Module Development

• Lead the conception, design, and development of VR training modules that increase mission effectiveness while reducing risk to equipment and personnel.
• Develop VR training modules on a per‑request basis to address NISRF Training Centre requests and NSPA‑delegated tasks, ensuring modules meet or exceed standard training requirements.
• Use IETMs and engineering/maintenance documentation as the authoritative source to script, sequence, and validate VR training steps and scenarios.
• Ensure VR training modules are compatible with current VR kits used by the customer, and architected for adaptability to future VR platforms.
• Integrate haptics and other interactive features into VR modules to enhance realism, feedback, and trainee engagement.
• Work with instructors and training leads to integrate VR modules into existing training curricula (classroom, simulator, and hands‑on), ensuring alignment and consistency across modalities.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with 8 years experience or Masters degree with 6 years experience or PhD with 4 years experience
• Experience in technical training development, instructional design, or courseware development in engineering, maintenance, manufacturing, or defense/aerospace environments.
• Demonstrated experience developing training content directly from technical documentation such as technical manuals, IETMs, engineering drawings, and maintenance procedures.
• Experience designing structured lesson plans, student materials, instructor materials, and assessments for adult learners.
• Experience working with multimedia and/or simulation‑based training aids (e.g., technical graphics, training videos, interactive simulations).
• Demonstrated ability to analyze learner performance data and feedback to identify content gaps and implement courseware improvements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical information into clear, learner‑focused training materials.
• Experience collaborating with engineers, maintenance personnel, SMEs, and training stakeholders in a requirements‑driven, contract‑governed environment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical information into clear, learner‑focused training materials.
• Master’s degree in a related field (e.g., Media Psychology, Education, Instructional Design, Human Factors) or equivalent graduate‑level coursework.
• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, or military training programs, including collaboration with customer training centers.
• Hands‑on experience designing or developing VR/AR, serious games, or simulation‑based training for complex technical systems (e.g., aircraft, submarines, or mission systems).
• Experience with instructional systems design methodologies (e.g., ADDIE) and adult learning principles, particularly in technical training contexts.
• Proficiency with multimedia and graphics tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, 2D/3D animation, video editing) used in developing training aids and courseware.
• Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and e‑learning standards (e.g., SCORM, xAPI).
• Experience developing train‑the‑trainer materials and instructor support content, even if not serving as the primary instructor.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or experience using continuous‑improvement methods to enhance training products and reduce performance gaps.
• Prior experience with U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, or similar military customer training environments.
  

Primary Level Salary Range: $92,200.00 - $138,400.00
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.
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.