When beginning her career with Northrop Grumman as an intern in 2013, Andie Holmes joined a team that had more than 150 collective years of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) knowledge - a sharp contrast for her, a college intern, but she was ready and eager to learn.
With access to invaluable career opportunities, Andie explains how her experience was more than an internship.
A quick introduction to ICBMs and systems engineering
Andie started out analyzing data on the Minuteman III ICBM Prime Integration Contract at Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah, supporting the team as they performed analysis on a critical component within the weapon system.
"From the start, it was obvious that I was joining a strong community of people who shared a mutual vision. At the time, a majority of our leaders had retired from the Air Force and brought a “mission first” mentality to our team, which really aligned us with our customer’s goals," she explains.
That mission-driven mindset - combined with the wealth of knowledge and support that surrounded her - empowered Andie, setting the pace for a quick introduction to ICBMs and systems engineering.
Coming full circle with leadership responsibilities
From there, Andie hit the ground running. After her internship ended, she was hired to work on Minuteman III full-time, and soon after, she was asked to lead her own team’s internship program, in addition to her day job working on ICBM systems. For Andie, it was a full-circle moment.
She recruited interns, introduced them to hiring managers and, eventually, supported them when they received their first job offers to join the team. Not only was Andie sustaining the aging ICBM system, but she was cultivating a new class of engineers who could, like her, begin their adult lives with Northrop Grumman and continue supporting the system that she fell in love with as an intern.
"By showing interns the success and excitement of a career with Northrop Grumman supporting the nuclear triad’s mission, I felt like I was paying it forward, providing the same mentorship and community that I had experienced at that stage. Helping interns launch their own careers with Northrop Grumman was one of the most rewarding parts of my early career," she adds.
Opening doors to new opportunities
In 2014, Andie joined the Ground Subsystems Support Contract (GSSC) team as part of the first group of engineers selected to support the next phase of sustaining the Minuteman III system. Seven years later, she is one of the team’s seasoned engineers - thanks to her ICBM experience - and, more importantly, she is now a mentor to a new cohort of engineers.
"My advice to them is that your experience is what you make of it. Build your network, explore the opportunities you are presented with and trust in the team experience. It’s invaluable," explains Andie.
"I say this because I experienced it myself. Saying yes to an internship at Northrop Grumman opened up doors I had no idea existed. As an intern, you don’t always realize the potential for growth at a company, but, at Northrop Grumman, there truly is no limit to what you can do or where you may end up."
A once-in-a-career moment
Andie has her eyes set on the next chapter of GSSC: Northrop Grumman’s GSSC 2.0 proposal, which would effectively sustain the Minuteman III Ground Subsystems to ensure a viable nuclear deterrent through 2038. Being able to see the end-of-life of a weapon system - the same system she started with and learned on - is a once-in-a-career opportunity. And, Northrop Grumman is working on the replacement for Minuteman III, the GBSD program, continuing a legacy in strategic deterrence.
"In just eight short years, I’ve gone from intern to new hire to senior engineer and program manager; from being the most inexperienced on my team to becoming a subject matter expert. But, for all those titles, “mentor” might just be my favorite," she concludes.
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