Northrop Grumman Mission Systems sector is seeking a Senior Principal Supplier Quality Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. The qualified applicant will become part of Northrop Grumman's Amherst Systems in Buffalo, New York; an organization focused on development and production of state-of-the-art Simulation Systems solutions.
Our Mission Systems team is a leading innovator, developer, manufacturer, integrator, and supporter of a variety of advanced electronics for national security and non-defense applications. The qualified applicant will become part of Northrop Grumman’s Supplier Performance Management department here in Amherst, NY. The selected candidate will work in a dynamic people-focused environment where he/she will interact with Global Supply Chain professionals, other engineering disciplines, and our suppliers.
What you get to do:
- Responsible for Supplier Quality risk management.
- Develops and implements supplier quality evaluation and control systems.
- Assures supplier process and product quality, including contractual, regulatory, and technical compliance.
- Interfaces directly with supplier personnel and must be knowledgeable in and capable of assessing both supplier quality and manufacturing processes and procedures.
- Conducts product and process verification activities, monitors supplier quality performance, and drives root cause corrective action analysis for supplier quality issues.
- Supports the maintenance of the approved supplier list and periodically reviews supplier performance to determine whether suppliers should remain on the approved list.
- Manages supplier requests for waivers, deviations and discrepancy reporting process. Keeps management aware of supplier performance, quality status, and risks.
- Coordinates and oversees Supplier Quality plan implementation through all program phases.
- Actively engages in supplier evaluation, qualification and selection as part of the Business Acquisition Process (BAP) and as new procurements are required on existing programs
- Manages implementation of Supplier Quality processes, including supplier approval activities, source selection evaluations, supplier classification designation (Strategic, Critical and Transactional), development and execution of supplier quality risk assessments and mitigation plans, supplier quality requirements development and flow-downs and supplier performance readiness reviews.
#MPR
Basic Qualification:
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and minimum of 8 years of experience in a quality and/or engineering role or a minimum of 6 years with a Masters (and a STEM Bachelors or a STEM Masters) in a quality and/or engineering role
- Willing to travel up to 25%
- US Citizenship
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience facilitating Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) activities.
- Experience in micro-electronics or printed circuit board manufacturing.
- Defense industry experience, including interfacing with suppliers.
- Experience in a quality, supplier quality role.
- SAP Business System experience.
- Experience with ISO 9001 / AS9100 Quality Management System certification processes.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline and at least 8 years of experience in a quality and/or engineering role, or a master's degree with a STEM bachelor's or master's degree and at least 6 years of experience
- Willingness to travel up to 25%
- U.S. citizenship
- Experience facilitating Root Cause Corrective Action and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis activities
- Experience in microelectronics or printed circuit board manufacturing
- Defense industry experience, including supplier interface experience
- Experience in a quality or supplier quality role
- SAP Business System experience
- Experience with ISO 9001 or AS9100 Quality Management System certification processes
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.







