Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking a Principal / Sr Principal Manufacturing Engineer. This position will be in Roy, UT and will support the Sentinel program.
This position will be supporting the Sentinel program. The team member will identify manufacturing risk within internal and supplier manufacturing processes to ensure required quality, cost, and schedule targets are met. The role coordinates cross-functional manufacturing readiness assessments, evaluates manufacturing capability/capacity, identifies manufacturing risks, and develops/maintains manufacturing readiness level (MRL) status and maturation plans across the product lifecycle. This engineer will work closely with program managers, supplier management teams, suppliers, and various internal functions to ensure comprehensive assessments are held and results are reported to program leadership. The ideal candidate will have excellent written/verbal communication skills, the ability to develop long-term planning, and be conversant in multiple engineering disciplines.
This position may require up to 50% travel to suppliers and NG partners when required, but generally no more than 25%.
Position Benefits:
As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, 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 positions 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. This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.
Basic Qualifications:
Principal Manufacturing Engineer: 5 Years of work experience with Bachelors in Science; 3 Years with Masters; 1 Year with PhD
Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer: 8 Years of work experience with Bachelors in Science; 6 Years with Masters; 4 Years with PhD
Required for both levels:
• Demonstrated success working cross-functionally and within multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experienced in gauging supplier readiness through a structured framework
• Possess a comprehensive background in aerospace, defense, or related manufacturing
• Experienced in interfacing directly with suppliers and collaborating with Supplier Management Teams
• Experienced in reviewing bills of materials, engineering designs, and GD&T
• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with an ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business need.
• Skilled in using Microsoft Office Products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, MS-Project)
Preferred Qualifications:
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects requiring cross functional teams.
• Experience in performing or supporting Manufacturing Readiness Assessments
• Well versed in the Dept. of Defense Manufacturing Readiness Level Deskbook
• Understanding of the acquisition lifecycle and associated Major Program Events
• Previous experience on EMD projects
• Supported an aerospace or defense program
• Strong leadership and mentorship skills with the ability to guide junior team-members
• Experienced in interfacing directly with external customers
• Direct experience in supporting a Contractual Deliverable Requirement List (CDRL)
• Experience supporting manufacturing plans and process instructions
• Skilled in summarizing and explaining technical documentation, specifications and industry requirements to ensure compliance.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proven track record of monitoring KPIs to drive execution.
• Knowledgeable in supplier quality requirements such as AS9100, AS9102, and AS9103
• Experience influencing change across team boundaries.
• Understanding of Lean Six Sigma and exposure to continuous improvement and RCCA
Skills Required
- Principal level: 5 years with Bachelors; 3 years with Masters; 1 year with PhD
- Senior Principal level: 8 years with Bachelors; 6 years with Masters; 4 years with PhD
- Demonstrated success working cross-functionally within multi-disciplinary teams
- Experience gauging supplier readiness through a structured framework
- Comprehensive background in aerospace, defense, or related manufacturing
- Experience interfacing directly with suppliers and collaborating with Supplier Management Teams
- Experience reviewing bills of materials, engineering designs, and GD&T
- Active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope; ability to obtain and maintain SAP approval
- Skilled in Microsoft Office Products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, MS-Project)
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects
- Experience performing or supporting Manufacturing Readiness Assessments
- Familiarity with DoD Manufacturing Readiness Level Deskbook
- Understanding of acquisition lifecycle and Major Program Events
- Experience on EMD projects and supporting aerospace or defense programs
- Leadership and mentorship skills to guide junior team members
- Experience supporting Contractual Deliverable Requirement Lists (CDRL)
- Experience supporting manufacturing plans and process instructions
- Knowledgeable in supplier quality requirements such as AS9100, AS9102, AS9103
- Understanding of Lean Six Sigma, continuous improvement, and RCCA
- Experience summarizing and explaining technical documentation, specifications, and industry requirements to ensure compliance
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.








