Working at Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a major American defense contractor known for its work and investment in four main business segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space.
The business as it currently exists formed in 1995 when the Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta merged. Today, Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest defense contractor, with approximately half of its business related to the United States Department of Defense. Lockheed Martin is also a contractor with two other U.S. government agencies: the Department of Energy and NASA. It is also one of the biggest businesses in the country: in 2019, the company ranked at 57 on the Fortune 500, with $59.8 billion in annual revenue and 110,000 employees worldwide.
If you are considering a job with Lockheed Martin, learn what you should keep in mind regarding background checks, hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other employment factors.
Jobs and Background Checks at Lockheed Martin
Positions with Lockheed Martin span four business categories as well as enterprise operations and positions specifically intended for members of the military. Lockheed Martin jobs also span a broad geography: a sample of recent job openings includes opportunities in Baltimore, Maryland; Stratford, Connecticut; Annapolis Junction, Maryland; Orlando, Florida; and Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin is headquartered in
Bethesda, Maryland.
Any job seeker applying for an open position with Lockheed Martin should expect to undergo a background check. The background checks at Lockheed Martin can vary significantly depending on the job, due largely to the fact that many jobs with the company require federal government security clearances. If the job does require a security clearance, the background check will take significantly longer than a typical vetting process with another employer.
The in-depth nature of these clearances combined with the common problem of
background check backlogs at the federal level means that checks can sometimes take months to process.
Lockheed Martin and COVID-19
Lockheed Martin has had an active response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on an infographic published on the Lockheed Martin website, the company has made more than $21 million in charitable contributions since the pandemic began, donated its corporate air fleet to support “critical medical relief missions,” and produced a significant quantity of PPE (including more than 87,000 gowns and more than 54,000 face shields) for front-line health workers.
The infographic also indicates that Lockheed Martin is still hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic began, the company has filled more than 12,000 positions. Lockheed Martin is also investing in pipelines that will continue to bring workers to its applicant pools: the company has spent $300,000 to support virtual apprenticeship programs throughout the United States. That money will go toward keeping education opportunities available in the skilled trades throughout the pandemic.