Space Principal/Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer (No Clearance Required to Start)

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Payload and Ground Systems Division (PGSD) is seeking a motivated Mechanical Engineer to join our high-performance team. This position is in Linthicum, MD.  

The qualified candidate will work with a diverse and talented team of engineers developing innovative systems that support a broad range of products and business areas throughout the lifecycle of a program.  The candidate will support the design of space hardware, with a focus on electronics design and packaging, and associated support equipment for antennas / electro-optical sensors, sensor structures, electronics chassis, circuit card assemblies, and electronic subassemblies and components.

The engineer will also be involved during all phases of space programs, from concept design through hardware integration and test efforts.

Typical roles and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for all aspects of hardware development. This will encompass all phases of design, including concept and detailed design development, CAD modeling efforts, documentation release, fabrication, integration, factory support and testing.

• Responsible for understanding technical performance of mechanical requirements of space program hardware or subsystems of major satellite programs to assure cost, schedule and technical performance is achieved.

• Present technical solution and technical data at milestone reviews.

• Research and develop procedures, methods, and tools for testing space hardware conformance to documented and derived system requirements.

• Ability to successfully read and interpret schematics, block diagrams, sketches, oral and written instructions, manufacturer's specifications/operation manuals, and analyze hardware configurations.

• Ability to work independently and collaborate as part of a cross-functional team with other engineers, management, and contractors.

• Troubleshoot hardware issues and/or nonconformances during integration and test and provide suggestions for improvement and optimization.

This position can be filled at the Principal Engineer (Level 3) or Senior Principal Engineer (Level 4) position based upon the candidate’s qualifications.

Basic Qualifications:

• Principal Mechanical Engineer (Level 3): B.S degree in a STEM field with 5 years of engineering experience; Master’s degree in STEM and 3 years of engineering experience, or a Ph.D. with 0 years of experience

• Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer (Level 4):  B.S degree in a STEM field with 9 years of engineering experience; Master’s degree in STEM and 7 years of engineering experience, or a Ph.D. with 4 years of experience

• Strong experience using CAD modeling software and tools

• Ability to develop clear and concise documentation and review materials

• No clearance required to start but must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active, in scope DoD Top Secret or SCI clearance

• Experience with electronics packaging and design, inclusive of Printed Wiring Board (PWB) and Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) design and oversight

• Experience designing mechanical ground support equipment and usage documentation

• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management

Salary Range: $90,600 USD - $136,000 USD

Salary Range 2: $112,300 USD - $168,500 USD

Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

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.