Embark on a career putting innovative, reliable, and agile products and ideas into orbit, and beyond. Northrop Grumman has opportunities waiting for you that play a vital role in human space exploration, national defense, and scientific discovery, supporting multiple programs across the universe. With us, you’ll discover a culture of curiosity and collaboration that will have you Defining Possible from the day you start. Our space systems connect and protect millions of people on earth every day, now and for the future. Explore your future and launch your career today.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Principal Manufacturing Engineer.  This position will be located in Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) and will support the Sentinel – Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program.  This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.

What You’ll Get To Do: 

Design manufacturing processes, procedures and production layouts for assemblies, equipment installation, processing, and material handling. Designs arrangement of test equipment and hardware within Lab facilities to ensure most efficient and productive layout. Designs sequence of operations and defines procedures for the fabrication of lab equipment, test hardware and equipment and other functions that affect product performance. May incorporate inspection and test requirements into the Lab Requirements plan. Inspects performance of Test equipment, and Hardware to verify their efficiency, and investigates and initiates corrective action of problems and deficiencies to ensure product and test quality. Develops manufacturing processes that are applicable to statistical process control and may develop those techniques. Provides guidance to engineering regarding design concepts and specification requirements to best utilize equipment and manufacturing techniques. Ensures processes and procedures are in compliance with regulations.

Some of the day-to-day things you’ll do:

• Stand-up Lab processes and procedures and develop operation requirements in a Lab environment.

• Coordinates between Design Engineering, Lab Management and Lab Technicians.

• Lead and tracks Lab configuration of test hardware.

• Creates and Tracks Lab Change Request to provide shop floor with Authority to Work.

• Ensures hardware is received per NG processes and procedures.

• Tracks delivered hardware to downstream customers.

• Lead and coordinates both NG & Supplier process improvement definition & execution.

• Conducts root cause failure investigations and implement corrective actions.

• Develops and maintains manufacturing work instructions.

• Creates Tooling requirements & tool definition.

• Supports IPT’s by conducting MRA (Manufacturing Readiness Assessments).

• Reviews engineering models via (NX/Teamcenter).

• Creates Production Planning in CPLM & MES.

• Reads, understands, and interprets engineering drawings and specifications.

As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman Space Systems, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including: 

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage 
• 401k 
• Educational Assistance 
• Life Insurance 
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions  
• Paid Time Off  
• Health & Wellness Resources  
• Employee Discounts 

This position’s standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.  

You’ll Bring These Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) degree with a minimum of 5 years of experience or 3 years of experience with a Masters; 0 years with a PhD in an aerospace or military aviation Manufacturing Engineering role or equivalent.

• US Citizenship with an Active Secret Clearance or higher (awarded within the past 6 years) with the ability to obtain and maintain a Special Access Program (SAP) certification

• Experience with product definition/design.

• Ability to read and understand technical drawings.

These Qualifications Would be Nice to Have:

• US Citizenship with an Active Top-Secret Clearance or higher (awarded within the past 6 years) with the ability to receive a Special Access Program (SAP) certification

• Experience working producibility, affordability and trade studies.

• Experience working front end, development/start up programs.

• Experience developing a Manufacturing Plan and MRA as contract deliverables.

The health and safety of our employees and their families is a top priority. The company encourages employees to remain up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. U.S. Northrop Grumman employees may be required, in the future, to be vaccinated or have an approved disability/medical or religious accommodation, pursuant to future court decisions and/or government action on the currently stayed federal contractor vaccine mandate under Executive Order 14042 https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/contractors/.

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.