FAQs
Q. How many applicants will be selected into the FTLP?
A. The number of applicants selected into FTLP will vary each year. Only the top master's degree and PhD candidates in the areas of computer science, engineering and other related areas will be invited into the program, enabling Information Systems to assign a dedicated mentor to every FTLP participant.
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Q. What happens after I graduate from the FTLP?
A. The FTLP is a three-year program. Once participation in the program is completed, members who have continued to excel will graduate from the program, with the potential to become our next generation of technical leaders at Northrop Grumman. Participants can expect to continue their career working on a variety of exciting projects, and are eligible to participate in other Northrop Grumman programs.
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Q. If the FTLP is not for me, but I'm still interested in a career with Northrop Grumman, will there be other programs in which I might be eligible to participate during my career at Northrop Grumman?
A. Yes. The Future Technical Leaders Program is just one of several within the Engineering Office in support of highly differentiated technical offerings. This means products, processes and people. Additional programs within Information Systems include the Systems Engineering Associates (SEA) program and the Technical Fellows program. Additionally, employees might participate on Independent Research and Development (IR&D) teams.
Systems Engineering Associates (SEA) — Formed in 1996, this competitive development program — similar to FTLP — provides a professional development opportunity aimed at maintaining Northrop Grumman Information Systems' technical leadership and excellent performance in systems engineering. Individuals spend two years in four job rotations working on a variety of projects critical to our success. Classroom training is an important component to this program.
Technical Fellows — This influential recognition program offers participants the freedom to focus on technical pursuits of mutual interest to the company and themselves. These select individuals also serve as technical advisors to Information Systems, with involvement in strategic planning, proposal development, independent research activities, red teams, customer presentations and principal investigator responsibilities.
Independent Research and Development (IR&D) — This non-competitive program is a key component to our technology development that responds to strategic objectives that identify enabling technology for the needs of our customers, including prospective new ones. The breadth of research is quite expansive. The IR&D program is an indispensable resource of Northrop Grumman Information Systems' business. It has enabled us to uncover new concepts, to establish proofs of concept, to demonstrate capabilities in fly-before-buy and to gain important engineering insight prior to proposing final developments. Without exception, every product that Northrop Grumman Information Systems advertises or advocates for reuse within our integrated systems has been the beneficiary of earlier IR&D efforts.