Northrop Grumman Mission Systems Sector is seeking a Principal Quality Engineer / Sr. Principal Quality Engineer to join our team in Baltimore, MD.
This position will support the AMC Restricted Operating Unit within the Advanced Mission Capabilities Business Unit. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
What you'll get to do:
- Define and monitor mission‑assurance specifications and processes to ensure program success
- Ensure quality, risk, safety, reliability, and maintainability of deliverables, subcontractors, and suppliers in accordance with contractual requirements
- Leads comprehensive performance reviews on program performance and risks and advises on resource re‑allocation
- Clarify internal and contract requirements and establish clear compliance paths
- Participate in technical reviews (PDR, CDR) to verify system designs against project requirements
- Conduct comprehensive contract reviews to confirm adherence to regulatory and compliance standards
- Apply quantitative, predictive analysis to evaluate risks and opportunities
- Manage configuration management, (First Article Inspections and Physical Control Audits)
- Utilize common engineering/manufacturing tools, methodologies, and standards
- Identify product nonconformances, analyze root‑cause/corrective‑action trends, and drive preventive actions
- Apply AS9100 principles to resolve quality‑system questions and concerns
- Verify compliance with program requirements and support flow‑down to supplier quality
- Generate Basis of Estimate documentation for proposals
The ideal candidate must be able to communicate written and verbally to report status updates and technical data to leadership, lead investigations, organize data, and present corrective action board investigations. The ideal candidate must have the ability to review and verify requirements to flow downs on contracts or other documentation.
Basic Qualifications Principal Quality Engineer:
- Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM related field with 5 years of Manufacturing and/or Quality experience; Master’s Degree in a STEM related field with 3 years of Manufacturing and/or Quality experience.
- Experience with Quality Management Systems such as AS9100 or ISO 9001
- Experience interpreting technical drawings and GD&T
- Experience with root cause and corrective action methodologies such as 8D or 5 Why.
- Experience with conducting audits to verify internal procedures are being followed.
- Experience working with suppliers to support supplier corrective actions.
- Active Secret Clearance.
- US Citizenship required.
Basic Qualifications Sr. Principal Quality Engineer:
- Bachelor’s degree in STEM and 8 years of Manufacturing experience or relevant experience, or a master’s degree in STEM and 6 years of Manufacturing experience or relevant experience.
- Experience with Quality Management Systems such as AS9100 or ISO 9001
- Experience interpreting technical drawings and GD&T
- Experience with root cause and corrective action methodologies such as 8D or 5 Why.
- Experience with conducting audits to verify internal procedures are being followed.
- Experience working with suppliers to support supplier corrective actions.
- Active Secret Clearance.
- US Citizenship required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in at least one of the following standards (IPC, J-Std, MIL-STD)
- Experience with ISO9001, AS9100, and AS9145 Quality Management System and AS9102 First Article Inspections (FAI).
- Green/Black Belt Certified in Lean Six-sigma.
- Certified in Lean and Six-Sigma methodologies
- Certified auditor
- Experience Facilitating RCCAs with technical groups
- SAP Experience
- Tableau Experience
- Experience leading cross-functional teams to resolve problems or issues.
- Experience using Microsoft Excel, Minitab or equivalent tools for statistical analysis.
- Experience Artificial Intelligence, SQL, Power Bi to aid in data analysis and data visualization.
#MPR
Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $123,400.00 - $185,000.00The 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 in STEM with 5 years manufacturing/quality experience, or Master's with 3 years (Principal)
- Bachelor's degree in STEM with 8 years manufacturing/quality experience, or Master's with 6 years (Sr. Principal)
- Experience with Quality Management Systems such as AS9100 or ISO 9001
- Experience interpreting technical drawings and GD&T
- Experience with root cause and corrective action methodologies such as 8D or 5 Why
- Experience conducting audits to verify internal procedures are being followed
- Experience working with suppliers to support supplier corrective actions
- Active Secret clearance
- U.S. Citizenship required
- Participate in technical reviews (PDR, CDR) and verify system designs against requirements
- Manage configuration management, first article inspections, and physical control audits
- Ability to communicate status updates, lead investigations, and present corrective action board findings
- Experience with IPC, J-Std, MIL-STD (standards)
- Experience with AS9145, AS9102 First Article Inspections (FAI)
- Green/Black Belt or Lean Six Sigma certifications; Certified Auditor
- SAP, Tableau, Power BI, Microsoft Excel, Minitab, SQL, or AI tools for data analysis/visualization
- Experience facilitating RCCAs and leading cross-functional teams
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.
