Defense giant Lockheed Martin has been in the news in recent weeks as President Joe Biden visited the company’s facilities in Alabama where the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile is produced. Recently, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies Corp. were awarded two contracts worth $309 million from the United States Army to produce the Javelin, which has been used by the Ukrainian military to fight Russia’s invasion.
The missiles are made jointly by Lockheed and Raytheon’s missile unit. Given the new contract, there could soon be “help wanted” signs, and already Lockheed Martin increased its hiring activity by 9.25% in March – while the company has seen the highest hiring activity since 2020, with some 3,000 new posts advertised last month.
“Alongside new job postings, the number of new hires was also up nearly 80% year-on-year in April 2022,” said Rinaldo Pereira, business fundamentals analyst at international analytics firm Global Data via an email to ClearanceJobs.
The defense contractor’s senior-level job postings have seemed to be centered on missile defense systems, the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter program, and various space programs.
“In a recent announcement, Lockheed commented on a hiring drive for its C-130J and F-35 programs, with a $15,000 sign-on bonus,” Pereira added.
Lockheed Martin Now Hiring
According to data provided to ClearanceJobs from a Lockheed Martin representative, the aerospace and defense contractor currently has more than 5,500 open positions on our website. Also, as stated in its 2021 Annual Report, the company had hired more than 10,000 employees in 2021, despite continuing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last month, representatives from the company even held a hiring decision event at Kennesaw State University in Marietta, GA, during which it conducted interviews to fill nearly 200 positions. Lockheed Martin has produced aircraft at its Marietta site since 1951, and it currently employees more than 4,500 individuals who work at the site.
The event was for candidates who meet the basic qualifications for critical C-130J Super Hercules and F-35 Center Wing production hourly positions, to include structures mechanics, coaters, painters, electrical and electronics mechanics.
“We have a strong future in the C-130J and F-35 Center Wing programs with a growing backlog and continued domestic and international interest in our aircraft,” explained David Coffman, vice president, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions Production Operations, via a statement. “This hiring event provides a great opportunity to join a team with a deep-rooted culture focused on our global customers. It’s an opportunity for long-term career development and the chance to be part of the world’s longest continuous military aircraft production operation in history.”
The Marietta facility – officially known as Air Force Plant 6 – first opened in 1943 to support the manufacture of the B-29 Superfortress bombers at the end of the Second World War.
Other Hiring Pushes
Lockheed Martin also has a hiring push for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which it has supported since 1993 when the Lockheed Corporation acquired General Dynamics’ aircraft manufacturing business. The F-16 remains the most numerous fixed-wing aircraft in military service, with more than 25 nations adopting the multi-role fighter.
“Lockheed Martin is hiring for more than 300 new jobs for its Greenville, SC, facility by the end of 2022 to support both F-16 sustainment and production,” a Lockheed Martin spokesperson told ClearanceJobs via an email. “These new roles represent Lockheed Martin’s long-standing commitment to meet our customers’ current and future needs, and to bring more jobs to the Greenville area.”
Many of the positions are on the leading edge of Lockheed Martin’s digital engineering efforts, which utilizes advanced technologies and automation to reduce cost, decrease span time and improve product quality.
The company held another same-day hiring decision event on May 17 in Greenville, and conducted interviews and made same-day hiring decisions for candidates who met the basic qualifications for critical hourly F-16 production and sustainment positions, including structures mechanics, airframe and powerplant mechanics, and avionics technicians.
“All of these roles were eligible for $15,000 sign-on bonuses, and select roles are eligible for an additional $5,000 sign-on bonus and a $5,000 tax-assisted relocation lump-sum payment,” added the Lockheed Martin spokesperson. “Employees hired onto second shift are eligible for a 6% shift premium.”
Future hiring events are also expected, as the company also looks to ramp up hiring in Pennsylvania and Florida for F-16 and F-35 components.
Further, the company hinted at an investment of ‘more than $50 million’ in the description of its ‘Hypersonics and Advanced Materials Director’ role,” said GlobalData’s Pereira. “With the U.S. likely to extend $20 billion in military aid to Ukraine, job postings are likely to go up even further.”
