gtag('config', 'G-6TW216G7W9', { 'user_id': wix.currentUser.id });
top of page

Michael, Retired Aerospace Engineer at Northrop Grumman Corp.: Advize Career Interview

Hear from Michael, a retired Aerospace Engineer from Northrop Grumman, about a fascinating career!

Starting with a student engineer role supporting the space shuttle, career highlights include leading the technical team as the material system architect for a hypersonic missile.

Daily life involved influencing system details by translating high-level objectives into testable requirements, a skill honed over 20 years.

Technical competence, communication, and contract understanding are crucial, but the joy comes from developing new technology and breakthrough moments.

The aerospace industry offers constant challenges and innovation, demanding a unique approach to each project. Attitude is key, along with setting boundaries. Avoid limiting entry-level positions and aim for roles aligning with interests.

A pivotal lesson was to strategically utilize resources and document accomplishments, leading to continuous funding and recognition.

Career success stemmed from pursuing academic passions, specifically a lifelong fascination with materials and aviation. Ultimately, a successful career involves doing a good job, regardless of background.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Michael Capoccia

Retired Aerospace Engineer

Northrop Grumman Corp.

Cal State University Long Beach

Pepperdine University Masters In Business Administration , Graduate Studies In Program Mngt. and Systems Engineering Cal Tech

Engineering - Chemical

Aerospace & Defense

Research and Development (R&D)

Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student

Watch all of this Advizer's videos below

Career Path of a Retired Aerospace Engineer at Northrop Grumman

Michael began career with a "fantastic opportunity" as a student engineer at Rockwell International, supporting thermal control material development for the space shuttle through networking with Chris Hernandez, a senator from Long Beach State. Later in career, Michael's last role involved leading the technical team as the material system architect for the low observable suite of a hypersonic missile, showcasing career's diverse range of experiences.

Career Path of a Retired Aerospace Engineer at Northrop Grumman

Main Responsibilities of a Retired Aerospace Engineer at Northrop Grumman

As the material system architect for the low observable suite of a hypersonic missile, Michael led a technical team to design the necessary materials, including radar absorbing materials, for the missile system; a key responsibility was translating missile performance requirements into actionable engineering requirements by collaborating with the Navy, design engineering, program managers, and chief engineers, illustrating the importance of understanding the entire "work breakdown structure" from mission objectives to part-level specifications.

Main Responsibilities of a Retired Aerospace Engineer at Northrop Grumman

A Day In The Life Of A Retired Aerospace Engineer At Northrop Grumman

An engineering system architect's daily life revolves around "influencing the details" of a system, like an aircraft or spacecraft, by translating high-level performance objectives into testable requirements derived from standardized military specifications, such as defining environmental requirements and the standard atmosphere. This involves possessing a broad understanding of applicable knowledge, which the professional noted "takes about 20 years to get to that point".

A Day In The Life Of A Retired Aerospace Engineer At Northrop Grumman

Most Important Skills For A Retired Aerospace Engineer At Northrop Grumman

For a senior engineering role, according to Michael, "technical competence" is crucial; one cannot transition to management without a strong technical foundation, and good written and oral communication skills are critical to understand contract requirements and deliverables. A thorough understanding of contracts is essential to manage customer expectations and prevent "mission creep" by clearly differentiating between what's in the contract and what requires a modification and additional cost.

Most Important Skills For A Retired Aerospace Engineer At Northrop Grumman

Favorite Parts Of Being A Retired Aerospace Engineer At Northrop Grumman

Michael, a retired Aerospace Engineer, enjoys developing successful new technology, and shares that "that's what every engineer and scientist loves to do" when responding to the question, later elaborating on a project where a creative solution was needed involving "very creative data manipulation" to gather crucial materials data at temperatures beyond room temperature which led to a breakthrough moment of brilliance. In closing, he stated the rare occurrence of a breakthrough moment makes all the tedious parts of the job worth it.

Favorite Parts Of Being A Retired Aerospace Engineer At Northrop Grumman

Favorite Parts of Working in the Aerospace Industry as a Retired Aerospace Engineer

Michael, a retired aerospace engineer, finds the industry appealing due to the constant challenges and innovation, contrary to initial plans of being a corrosion engineer; as Michael notes, "you never do the same thing twice," because each new system, whether "airplane science [or] missile science," requires a different approach and set of problems due to evolving technology.

Favorite Parts of Working in the Aerospace Industry as a Retired Aerospace Engineer

What a Retired Engineer at Northrop Grumman Learned Aerospace

Reflecting on a career as an Aerospace Engineer, Michael wishes someone had emphasized the importance of attitude over aptitude, as "you hire for attitude" and can teach the rest, but also the significance of setting boundaries because consistently working "uncompensated anything" leads to being undervalued. Furthermore, Michael stresses the modern "job" is not a "career," rather a career is "something you've done well."

What a Retired Engineer at Northrop Grumman Learned Aerospace

Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Aerospace Engineers

Michael, a retired aerospace engineer, advises aspiring professionals to avoid entry-level positions in manufacturing, facilities, engineering, and technology, as those roles tend to be "very self-contained jobs" that may limit career growth; instead, Michael suggests aiming for roles that align with interests, not just pay, emphasizing that positions like "chief engineer, assistant architect, [or] program manager" are attained through a combination of technical, managerial, financial, and political skills.

Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Aerospace Engineers

Significant Career Lesson From a Retired Aerospace Engineer at Northrop Grumman

Michael, a retired aerospace engineer, learned the valuable lesson that "it's often much easier to get forgiveness than permission," which he applied by encouraging his team to strategically use all their allocated research and development funds early, ensuring they would be considered for additional funding that others hadn't used, and then subsequently create formal reports to "get credit" for their work. This ensured continuous funding and proper documentation, allowing the team to stand out and receive recognition for their efforts within the large organization.

Significant Career Lesson From a Retired Aerospace Engineer at Northrop Grumman

College Experiences That Helped Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Engineer Succeed

Michael, a retired Aerospace Engineer, attributes career success to pursuing academic passions, stating "I studied what fascinated me. Materials fascinated me," highlighting a lifelong interest in materials technology and aviation, which began in childhood through reading encyclopedias and ultimately led to a fulfilling career in aerospace. The freedom to study what fascinated them, combined with early exposure to and passion for technical subjects, helped provide the foundation for a successful career at Northrop Grumman.

College Experiences That Helped Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Engineer Succeed

How Identity Has Influenced A Retired Aerospace Engineer's Career At Northrop Grumman

Navigating a long aerospace career starting in the 80s, the key was to "keep your mind open, your mouth shut to a certain extent," and prioritize listening, recognizing that judging others based on identity is pointless because "it's hard enough to be good at being you." A successful career boils down to doing a good job, and "it doesn't matter who you love," as people should have the right to live their lives as they please without interference, a sentiment shared by many scientists.

How Identity Has Influenced A Retired Aerospace Engineer's Career At Northrop Grumman
bottom of page