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.
Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, Thermal Control Systems, Hypersonic Technology, Networking
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, Aviation & Defense
Research and Development (R&D)
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Internship at Rockwell International during junior year at Long Beach State, supporting thermal control material development for the space shuttle.
2. Obtained the Rockwell internship through networking with the engineering senator at Long Beach State, highlighting the importance of networking in career development.
3. Last role was Material System Architect for the low observable suite of a hypersonic missile, involving technical leadership, system design, and requirements management.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college, or any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
I started in my junior year at Long Beach State, majoring in materials engineering. I secured a two-and-a-half-year part-time job as a student engineer at Rockwell International. This role supported thermal control, material characterization, and development for what was then the brand-new space shuttle. We hadn't even flown it yet; it was the very beginning.
I got this job through networking at Long Beach State. The engineering senator, Chris Hernandez, who was a year ahead of me in electrical engineering, asked me to run the student library. I organized and cleaned it up. Then, he asked me to work on the awards committee, which I did for two years.
I told him, "I'm helping you out. Can you help me get a job at Rockwell where you work?" He agreed, and three months later, I had an interview and got the job. While still a student, I was developing thermal control materials designed to manage infrared radiation both into and out of the system. This prevented overheating and helped reject computer-generated heat. It was a fantastic opportunity.
Over a career of four decades, my jobs were very diverse. My last role, to jump ahead, was as the material system architect for the low observable suite of a hypersonic missile. The project was in trouble and we were close to losing the contract. A few of us were brought in to help.
I led the technical team that designed the materials suite. I also worked with the chief engineer and program managers to develop and manage the system requirements.