Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a Propulsion Mechanical Engineer – Level 2 located in Dulles, VA, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
This is a Mechanical Engineering position supporting propulsion subsystem design, manufacture and test. This position requires the candidate to work independently with minimal guidance from senior lead engineers to perform general task completions, perform fluid flow analysis, sizing exercises, support trade studies, performance specification review or authoring, troubleshooting technical issues and supporting test operations.
This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.
In this job, you will:
- Researches, plans, designs and develops products and systems such as pressure vessels, fluid controls, rocket engines, mechanisms for production, transmission, measurement, test and use of space vehicle propulsion subsystems.
- Applies research to the planning, design, development, and testing of mechanical, fluid and/or Pneumatic systems, instruments, controls, engines, and/or machines.
- Other duties as assigned
If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 2 years of professional experience – OR – Master’s degree with 0 years of professional experience.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top-Secret security clearance
- Relevant course work and experience in fluid mechanics, compressible flow and/or thermodynamics of propulsion systems.
- Experience with industry standard fluid/ thermal and/or mechanical analysis software, design standards and/or documentation related to propulsion system or subsystem design.
- Experience with MATLAB or similar engineering tools.
- Domestic travel may be required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with designing propulsion systems or fluid systems including review of relevant analysis, manufacturing drawings, authoring test procedures or hands on pressure or hot fire engine test support.
- Experience in authoring performance specifications and/or statements of work required for the procurement of propulsion system fluid components, test support contracts or other related contractual technical documentation.
- Current or active Top Secret/SCI clearance.
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00The 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 a STEM field with 2 years of professional experience OR Master's degree with 0 years of professional experience.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top-Secret security clearance.
- U.S. Citizenship (required for positions with a government clearance).
- Relevant coursework and experience in fluid mechanics, compressible flow and/or thermodynamics of propulsion systems.
- Experience with industry-standard fluid, thermal and/or mechanical analysis software, design standards, and related documentation for propulsion systems.
- Experience with MATLAB or similar engineering tools.
- Ability to work 100% onsite in Dulles, VA (no telecommute).
- Experience designing propulsion or fluid systems, reviewing analyses and drawings, authoring test procedures, or hands-on pressure/hot-fire engine test support.
- Experience authoring performance specifications and/or statements of work for procurement of propulsion components or test support contracts.
- Current or active Top Secret/SCI clearance.
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.









