Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking Sr Principal Manufacturing Engineer. This position will be located in Huntsville, AL.
*Please be aware that this position is contingent upon capturing program award(s) and obtaining and maintaining associated business and/or customer funding .
What you’ll get to do:
This position will be supporting the SLCM-N Program. This team member will serve as the interface between the Engineering, Production and Supply Chain teams and assist in forecasting supplier-driven delays and cost impacts. This role will support Supplier Management Teams, Production Operations, and Design Engineering to provide technical expertise and representation of supplier manufacturing capabilities. This role will require a strong background in specific commodities and their associated manufacturing processes. The ability to objectively represent the voice of the supplier and assess their ability to meet internal stakeholder needs is required. This Position will also support Program/Division level Strategic Sourcing efforts by maintaining the Approved supplier list (ASL), supporting commodity management, and performing supplier capacity and capability assessments. The ideal candidate will also have excellent written/verbal communication skills, procurement/contracting experience, the ability to develop supplier development plans, and be versed in multiple engineering disciplines.
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.
Basic Qualifications
• 8 years of relevant experience with Bachelors degree in a Science discipline; Masters degree with 6 years of relevant experience; PhD with 4 years of relevant experience.
• Must be a US Citizen with an active DoD Secret Clearance, at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years and 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.
• Possess a strong background in one or more of the following commodities: metallic/composite structural assemblies, machined parts, non-metallics, metallic raw materials, electromechanical assemblies and PCBs, cables and harnesses, and construction for defense infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of one or more of the following manufacturing processes utilized in the aerospace/defense industries: welding, casting, forging, cable and harness production, VLSI, machining, additive manufacturing, and construction.
• Working Knowledge of Configuration and Change Management in contracts or engineering/design
• Possess previous experience in an aerospace or military aviation Manufacturing Engineering role or similar role.
Preferred Qualifications
• Active DoD Top Secret Clearance
• Possess 8 years of previous experience in an aerospace or military aviation Manufacturing Engineering role or similar role.
• Experience with cruise missiles or similar complex guided weapons systems, including production, integration, or deployment support.
• Demonstrated knowledge of tooling, including tool selection, setup/qualification, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting in a production environment.
• Experienced in interfacing directly with suppliers and collaborating with Supplier Management Teams
• Possess working level knowledge of Global Supply Chain concepts and FAR/DFAR requirements.
• Request for Change or Information (RCI) disposition experience
• Supported an Aerospace/defense program
• Experience supporting contractual data deliverables (CDRLs)
• Experience creating manufacturing plans and process instructions
• Experienced in technical leadership and mentoring
• Experienced in summarizing and explaining technical documentation, specifications and industry requirements to ensure compliance.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, and interpersonal communication skills
• Experience in driving supplier quality requirements such as AS9100, AS9102, and AS9103 and dimensional inspections.
• Experience working cross-functionally with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience influencing change across team boundaries
• Strong background in Lean Six Sigma with continuous improvement and RCCA experience
Primary 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
- Minimum experience: 8 years with Bachelors; Masters with 6 years; PhD with 4 years.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen with an active DoD Secret clearance at time of application, investigation within last 6 years, and ability to obtain/maintain SAP approval.
- Background in one or more commodities: metallic/composite structural assemblies, machined parts, non-metallics, metallic raw materials, electromechanical assemblies, PCBs, cables and harnesses, construction for defense infrastructure.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes: welding, casting, forging, cable and harness production, VLSI, machining, additive manufacturing, and construction.
- Working knowledge of Configuration and Change Management in contracts or engineering/design.
- Previous experience in an aerospace or military aviation Manufacturing Engineering role or similar role.
- Active DoD Top Secret Clearance (preferred).
- 8 years previous experience specifically in an aerospace or military aviation Manufacturing Engineering role (preferred).
- Experience with cruise missiles or similar complex guided weapons systems (production, integration, deployment) (preferred).
- Demonstrated knowledge of tooling: selection, setup/qualification, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting in production (preferred).
- Experience interfacing directly with suppliers and collaborating with Supplier Management Teams (preferred).
- Working knowledge of Global Supply Chain concepts and FAR/DFAR requirements (preferred).
- Request for Change or Information (RCI) disposition experience (preferred).
- Experience supporting aerospace/defense programs and contractual data deliverables (CDRLs) (preferred).
- Experience creating manufacturing plans and process instructions (preferred).
- Technical leadership, mentoring, and ability to summarize/explain technical documentation and specifications (preferred).
- Experience driving supplier quality requirements such as AS9100, AS9102, AS9103 and performing dimensional inspections (preferred).
- Experience working cross-functionally with multi-disciplinary teams and influencing change (preferred).
- Strong background in Lean Six Sigma, continuous improvement and Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) (preferred).
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.
-
Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple medical plan options by region alongside dental, vision, mental‑health resources, and wellness programs. Recent materials also highlight added family‑building support, including a dedicated fertility benefit.
-
Retirement Support — The 401(k) savings plan is positioned as competitive with a company match, auto‑escalation features, and access to an employee stock fund/ESPP. Official filings and benefits guides emphasize retirement as a core element of the Total Rewards package.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Many sites offer a 9/80 schedule, generous PTO, paid holidays, and flexible/telework options where program needs allow. Paid parental and caregiver leave are prominently featured, with recent enhancements for the delivering parent.
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.
