After graduating from Tsinghua in 1952, he was assigned to work at the Bureau of Aviation Industry under the Second Ministry of Machine Building. In August 1956, Guan was transferred to the newly established Aircraft Design Office of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (then known as the 112 Factory), where he worked under director Xu Shunshou and deputy directors Ye Zhengda and Huang Zhiqian. He was one of the key engineers who designed the Shenyang JJ-1 jet trainer.
