At the heart of who we are, Northrop Grumman is a leading American manufacturing company delivering advanced technologies in support of national security. Our manufacturing operations in Waynesboro, Virginia support production of advanced electronics, radar, and communication systems within our broader portfolio of defense capabilities. Our teams work collaboratively to ensure manufacturing excellence, production readiness, and continuous improvement across programs.
We are looking for you to join our team as a Principal Manufacturing Engineer or a Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer to support production and manufacturing operations at our Central Virginia manufacturing facilities.
What You'll Get to Do:
As a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer you will design, implement, and improve work instruction and manufacturing operations in our Assembly cells, engaging digital tools to streamline operations and manufacturing sequences. You will collaborate with peers, assemblers, and technicians to ensure operational readiness.
Knowledge of equipment functionality and capability are paramount as you support metric driven decisions on operations and maintenance KPI’s. You will support day-to-day production while developing and implementing process improvements and supporting equipment troubleshooting and maintenance activities.
Key Responsibilities:
Support manufacturing by developing processes and methodologies with a focus on safety, yields, cost, and process stability and capability.
Provide ROI justification for process improvements and equipment purchases.
Develop and implement shop floor digital solutions for PM and Operations.
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders when troubleshooting and developing failure mode corrective actions.
Develop digital work instructions for manufacturing and maintenance tasks.
We are looking for candidates who thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, possess excellent communication skills, and have a passion for innovation and teamwork.
This position is contingent upon proposal/task award.
This requisition may be filled as a Principal Manufacturing Engineer or a Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer based on the qualifications below.
#MPR
Basic Qualifications for the Principal Manufacturing Engineer:
Bachelor's degree or higher in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in manufacturing or production. Candidates with a Master's degree only require a minimum of 3 years of experience in manufacturing or production.
Experience developing digital work instruction for complete processes or assemblies
Experience in MS Office software applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.)
Ability to obtain and maintain a US Secret level security clearance
US Citizenship is required.
Basic Qualifications for the Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer:
Bachelor's degree or higher in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in manufacturing or production. Candidates with a Master's degree only require a minimum of 6 years of experience in manufacturing or production.
Experience developing digital work instruction for complete processes or assemblies
Experience in MS Office software applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.)
Ability to obtain and maintain a US Secret level security clearance
US Citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, or automation engineering
Active Secret clearance
Experience with antenna and electronic warfare assemblies
DFM/DFA experience
Experience with equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
Experience in automation systems and experience in production environments
CAD modeling experience
Experience with PLCs and automation solutions
Six Sigma certification and proficiency in applied statistics
Demonstrated experience using artificial intelligence to accelerate effective process development
What We Can Offer You:
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment which encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Northrop Grumman benefits give you the flexibility and control to choose the benefits that make the most sense for you and your family.
Your benefits will include the following: Health Plan, Savings Plan, Paid Time Off and Additional Benefits including Education Assistance, Training and Development, 9/80 Work Schedule (where available), and much more!
Primary Level Salary Range: $89,400.00 - $134,200.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $111,700.00 - $167,500.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and 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 application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity 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 and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or higher in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
- Minimum of 5 years relevant manufacturing or production experience (3 years if Master's degree)
- Minimum of 8 years relevant manufacturing or production experience (6 years if Master's degree)
- Experience developing digital work instruction for complete processes or assemblies
- Experience in MS Office software applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
- Ability to obtain and maintain a US Secret level security clearance
- US Citizenship
- Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or automation engineering
- Active Secret clearance
- Experience with antenna and electronic warfare assemblies
- DFM/DFA experience
- Experience with equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
- Experience in automation systems and production environments
- CAD modeling experience
- Experience with PLCs and automation solutions
- Six Sigma certification and proficiency in applied statistics
- Demonstrated experience using artificial intelligence to accelerate process development
Northrop Grumman Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northrop Grumman and has not been reviewed or approved by Northrop Grumman.
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Retirement Support — 401(k) matching is considered strong, with additional defined-benefit coverage for certain cohorts and options like catch-up contributions. Retirement programs are repeatedly highlighted as a core strength of the total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO, company-paid holidays, and compressed work schedules (such as 9/80) provide meaningful time away and flexibility. These scheduling options are cited as a major quality-of-life benefit across many locations.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave alongside caregiver leave, adoption assistance, and back-up care supports a range of family needs. These programs have been expanded recently, signaling continued investment in family support.
Northrop Grumman Insights
What We Do
We are a close-knit community of big thinkers collaborating to keep the world safe. Our passion, creativity and expertise bring next-level technology solutions to life in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, space, and logistics and modernization for our customers around the globe. On the Northrop Grumman team, you’ll join our pursuit of excellence immersed in a dynamic culture of innovation and respect. Your unique perspective will help achieve our shared vision for the future of global security. Every step of the way, you'll be supported by world-class training, employee resource groups and a comprehensive benefits package that enables greater health and happiness for you and your family. Worldwide and across disciplines, we’re challenging what’s possible for technology to protect people and places from undersea to outer space and into cyberspace. And we see the impact of our performance every day. We are Northrop Grumman, and we work on what matters—now, you too can make a difference. Explore opportunities in engineering, IT, manufacturing, business management, cybersecurity and more with us. Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.







