Emily Rogan

 

WHILE ONLY 15 PERCENT OF ENGINEERS EMPLOYED IN THE AEROSPACE & DEFENSE INDUSTRY ARE WOMEN, OPPORTUNITIES BECKON

 

THE AEROSPACE & DEFENSE INDUSTRY IS WORKING HARD TO RECRUIT WOMEN, THROUGH DIVERSITY INITIATIVES, EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS, AND REACHING OUT TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. ALSO, WOMEN CAN BE FOUND AT THE HELM OF LEADING AEROSPACE & DEFENSE FIRMS – SUCH AS LOCK HEED MARTIN AND GENERAL DYNAMICS – AND MORE WOMEN ARE CLIMBING THE RANKS, INCLUDING THE FOUR PROFILED HERE, ONE OF WHOM IS PRESIDENT AT A LEADING COMPANY. EACH IN HER OWN WAY HAS MADE THE PATH A BIT SMOOTHER FOR YOUNG WOMEN EVERYWHERE WHO DREAM OF DESIGNING ROCKETS AND PLANES AND SENDING THEM OUT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. WOMAN ENGINEER

 

SOARING TO THE TOP AT HONEYWELL AEROSPACE Early in her career as a flight test engineer resolving software troubles, Carey A. Smith was frustrated that the operators were concerned with one particular alert that continued to appear. It wasn’t until she was in the air with the pilots that she understood just why it was so distracting to them, and made it a priority to fix.

 

“From that point on,” says Smith, “I spent time thoroughly understanding and listening to the end users of our systems.”

 

That decision bode her well.

 

Today, Smith is president of Honeywell Aerospace’s Defense & Space Strategic Business Unit. She has over 30 years experience in the industry and a background in operations, program and engineering management, new business development, strategic planning, systems engineering, and advanced technology. With a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Northern University and master’s degree from Syracuse University, both in electrical engineering, Smith was recently recognized as one of the top 100 women leaders in STEM.

 

Smith held several leadership positions with Lockheed Martin before joining Honeywell. “What drew me to Honeywell was the opportunity to work for a global and commercial company,” she says. “The growth that Honeywell has achieved over the past decade is nearly unprecedented in the aerospace & defense industry.”

 

Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Honeywell Aerospace is the largest manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics. Its 65,000 employees are situated in more than 100 countries across the globe.

 

With Honeywell for almost four years, Smith’s responsibilities include “delivering the financials, executing on program performance (cost, schedule, technical, delivery, and quality), driving strategy, and achieving new business growth,” she explains. The Defense & Space division of Honeywell focuses on all aspects of avionics, including navigation and sensors, safety and connectivity, cockpit systems, and environmental control systems.

 

From her leadership perspective, “The climate is inviting for women engineers in aerospace & defense. We need to strive to get women interested in a very young age – K through 12 – in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains.” Honeywell values diversity, she says, and in fact the aerospace business group has a women’s council that will host its first forum this year.

 

Smith recommends that new employees lay strong groundwork with technical experience first, before beginning their foray into management. To be successful, a manager needs a balance of solid business skills and the ability to formulate growth strategies. “Also important are the ‘soft’ skills – being a team player, listening to everyone’s opinion prior to making a decision, and developing relations with all key internal and external stakeholders,” she adds.

 

Honeywell offers opportunities for engineers in all disciplines – mechanical, electrical, industrial, design, development, systems, process, and more. Those interested in a career at Honeywell can visit www.careersathoneywell.com.

 

For Smith, the best career advice she’s gotten is, “to always be willing to learn and develop. Take on new job assignments and step up to the challenges.” Clearly, the advice served Smith well.

 

NO LIMITS AT GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORP. Ask Melissa Grant how it feels to be a female engineer working in aerospace design and manufacturing, and her response might just surprise you.

 

“Honestly, I don't see myself as a female engineer or a female leader or a female in manufacturing – I’m a person doing all of those things and my company treats me that way,” she says. “It is clear from the trajectory of my career growth at Gulfstream that I am seen solely for my contribution to the company not for my gender or age.”

 

Still, she admits that women have come a long way; she was one of three females in a class of graduating electrical engineers who earned a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University (Clemson, SC) in 1998.

 

“I think women are much more likely to see themselves pursuing a career in a STEM-related field, and the population as a whole has become very accepting of women in such roles,” says Grant.

 

Right out of college, Grant was hired into Cooper Industries Manufacturing (since acquired by Eaton) management program, where she spent two years rotating between different units every six months to gain experience in all facets of manufacturing. From there, she spent six years working in various capacities for Cooper Power Tools before joining Gulf stream Aeros pace Corp, where she’s now worked for almost 11 years.

 

Today she is director of aircraft completions.

 

“My team installs cabin interiors and completes the exterior for our large-cabin aircraft, the Gulfstream G450, G550, G650, and G650ER. We work closely with our customers to ensure the aircraft meets their expectations,” explains Grant.

 

The Savannah, GA-based Gulfstream Aerospace “designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services, and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft,” says Grant.

 

Though the allure of working on premier business jets drew her to the company, it’s not the reason that keeps her there. “What I enjoy most about my job are the people I have the privilege to work with. Gulfstream employees are truly the best in the world. Their dedication, commitment, pride, and innovation are remarkable and inspiring,” says Grant.

 

She also takes great pride in the work itself, recalling the first flight of the G650 as an example. “New technologies, new manufacturing methods, innovative design, and a lot of dedicated hard work and teamwork went into that first flight. I was extraordinarily proud of the team that made that dream a reality,” says Grant.

 

Grant’s advice to young people entering the industry is to embrace the unfamiliar even when it feels uncomfortable. “You have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone, try new things, and challenge yourself to think in different ways,” she says. “When we push ourselves outside our comfort zone and try to do something we aren't sure we can actually accomplish, that is when we grow the most and what helps make us valuable to our organization or field,” she adds.

 

Interested applicants can visit the career section of Gulfstream’s website, www.gulfstream.com/careers.

 

LAUNCHING TO SUCCESS AT AEROJET ROCKETDYNE Although she’s worked at Aerojet Rocketdyne for more than 30 years, Lillian Ng still gets excited about seeing her work in action.

 

“Watching a rocket engine hot fire or a launch is incredible. All the smoke, fire, and power is exhilarating!” she says. “You know that many things can go wrong, so when the test or launch is successful, it’s a great feeling to know that I was part of the team that contributed to that success.”

 

For the past four years, Ng has worked for the Missile Defense & Strategic Systems Chief and Project Engineering Department. She manages all technical aspects of the program and interaction with customers and suppliers. “It is my responsibility to work with various engineering disciplines; our supplier management, manufacturing, and quality assurance personnel to coordinate technical solutions; implement changes to improve producibility and affordability; and to help keep production moving,” says Ng.

 

Ng earned her bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees in metallurgy & material sciences from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in New York City. She spent two summers as an engineering intern at the IBM Watson Research Center. After that, it was all Sacramento, CA-headquartered Aerojet Rocketdyne.

 

“I came to Aerojet Rocketdyne because they were building the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME). Working for a rocket engine company was infinitely more interesting than any other job offers I received,” she says. “Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, and tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets.”

 

Ng’s opportunities to work in several capacities connected to all aspects of rocket engine design and manufacturing has helped prepare her for her current role. “Seeking assignments to gain experience in different engineering and manufacturing departments, working on both development and production programs and in program management have been a tremendous help in giving me the confidence to tackle most issues,” she says.

 

Ng suggests that newcomers do the same; take advantage of opportunities to work in different engineering, manufacturing, or supporting positions to learn all aspects of the industry. “Each challenge will give you a broader experience, make you more valuable, and help you figure out what kind of work you enjoy most,” she explains.

 

She also stresses that having strong communication skills (“My pet peeve is engineers that cannot write clearly and cannot spell!”) and being able to make decisions will also help you move ahead in the field.

 

Aerojet Rocketdyne has support programs in place for women, from a women’s support group to both formal and informal mentoring opportunities. “The climate for women in engineering today is good,” Ng says. “Although there are still many more men than women in engineering, the women engineers on my teams have been a very positive influence on the team dynamics.”

 

The company is hiring both new and experienced engineers, she adds. Candidates can post their resumes at http://www.rocket.com/job-search.

 

SHOOTING FOR THE MOON AT ORBITAL ATK Crystal Lu shoots for the moon, literally and figuratively. As missions systems engineer with Orbital ATK, she is responsible for “maintaining databases such as the command and data handling database or mass properties database, and overseeing procurement, alterations, or modifications, and builds of avionics units for different mission spacecraft.”

 

Simply put, she helps launch rockets into space. Lu began reaching for the stars long before she started working at Orbital ATK. Her natural drive as a student landed her a spot in Cornell University’s competitive engineering school, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering and a master’s degree in systems engineering.

 

“Part of the reason why I studied electrical and computer engineering as an undergraduate and then pursued systems engineering as a graduate degree was because I wanted to be able to have a strong technical foundation and be able to apply that to the big picture and understand it at a high level,” explains Lu.

 

She interned for two summers at the then-named Orbital Sciences Corporation (now Orbital ATK) in its Dulles,VA headquarters. “During my time there, I was challenged with several hands-on tasks and placed right into the demanding but inspiring work environment from day one. It was never a dull moment and I was working with very approachable and intelligent co-workers,” Lu says.

 

Orbital ATK focuses on the design, manufacture, and launch of space and rocket systems for a variety of customers, from commercial to military. Lu loves the fact that each day presents a new opportunity to think and learn. “The space industry itself is something that is constantly challenging people to think outside the box and probably one of the reasons I found myself at Orbital ATK,” she says.

 

And while her job comes with its own set of challenges, Lu takes a holistic approach to her career. “One of the jokes we have at work is that you should always book your vacations on launch day because there’s always some unavoidable delay. That was definitely a challenge and probably one of my biggest initial frustrations when I first started work,” she says. “This challenge made me a more adaptable person. There are always lessons learned, promoting growth and constantly making me a better engineer, able to react and adapt to changes in the work environment.”

 

She sees a bright future for women engineers and commits herself to mentoring high school students through Orbital ATK’s support of local teams in the FIRST competition. The company also supports women engineers through its commitment to Women in Technology and Girls in Technology.

 

“Orbital ATK helps connect their younger employees to their more experienced ones for mentorship. I have had opportunities to meet with other female engineers to hear about their experiences and accomplishments. There is a strong presence of female leaders in our program management; it is really encouraging,” she says.

 

For information on careers at the company, go to http://www.atk-jobs.com/.