Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission!
Northrop Grumman Corporation is offering a challenging and rewarding career as a Sr. Principal Mechanical Drafting Designer within the Mission Systems Sector located at the Rolling Meadows - Illinois facility. This position will support the design and documentation of ruggedized electronic equipment for military applications. The candidate will have the opportunity to be exposed to multiple skill sets within the Mechanical Drafting discipline such as: CAD design, drawing creation, documentation updates, and library part creation. The individual will work within a team environment consisting not only of senior oversight, but also other functional disciplines such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and systems engineering.
The candidate will work within the Hardware Engineering organization. It is a high performing organization that values its employees greatly and has a strong sense of purpose tied to the vision of Northrop Grumman: To be the most trusted provider of systems and technologies that ensure the security and the freedom of our nation and its allies. The candidate will be able to contribute within an ethical/inclusive environment and be able to grow personally and professionally while being an important part of something bigger and better than ourselves.
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This position will be full-time and on-site at our Rolling Meadows, IL. location
Candidates must have a current US Government active DoD Secret level security clearance (at a minimum) in order to be considered
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelors’ degree with a minimum of 8 years or relevant experience or MS degree with minimum of 6 years of relevant experience or in lieu of degree an additional 4 years of experience required.
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in Mechanical design and drafting
- Extensive hands‑on CAD modeling, drafting, and tolerance stack‑up using NX, Creo, and SolidWorks, with ownership of complex assemblies across multiple programs.
- Deep working knowledge of ASME Y14.5 and related Mil‑specs for GD&T, part/assembly/drawing standards, and configuration control.
- Strong background in manufacturing‑driven design (machining, welding, sheet metal, casting, 3D printing) for rugged, high‑reliability applications.
- Experience designing parts for machining and extensive familiarity with ASME standards.
- U. S. citizenship
- Candidates must have a current US Government active DoD Secret level security clearance (at a minimum) in order to be considered
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelors’ degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math with a minimum of 5 years of experience in Mechanical design and drafting
- Active DoD Secret Clearance or higher
- Experience working with manufacturing, quality, or inspection teams
- Experience supporting aerospace or defense hardware development
- Proficiency with ASME Y14.5 geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and ASME Y14.100 engineering drawing practices
- Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to support and mentor peers
- Ability to provide constructive feedback and support to peers to enhance their skills and performance
- Working knowledge of materials, specifications, manufacturing processes and design tools utilized for Mechanical Design of Electronic Assemblies:
- Siemens NX
- Teamcenter
- ProEngineer
- AutoCad
- Good written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree with at least 8 years of relevant experience, or a master’s degree with at least 6 years of relevant experience, or 4 additional years of experience in lieu of a degree
- At least 7 years of mechanical design and drafting experience
- Hands-on CAD modeling, drafting, and tolerance stack-up experience using NX, Creo, and SolidWorks
- Experience owning complex assemblies across multiple programs
- Working knowledge of ASME Y14.5, GD&T, Mil-specifications, part and assembly standards, drawing standards, and configuration control
- Experience with manufacturing-driven design for machining, welding, sheet metal, casting, and 3D printing
- Experience designing parts for machining and familiarity with ASME standards
- U.S. citizenship
- Current active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance
- Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics with at least 5 years of mechanical design and drafting experience
- Active DoD Secret clearance or higher
- Experience working with manufacturing, quality, or inspection teams
- Experience supporting aerospace or defense hardware development
- Experience with ASME Y14.5 GD&T and ASME Y14.100 engineering drawing practices
- Communication, collaboration, mentoring, and constructive peer feedback skills
- Working knowledge of materials, specifications, manufacturing processes, and mechanical design tools for electronic assemblies
- Experience with Siemens NX, Teamcenter, ProEngineer, or AutoCAD
- Good written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
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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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.
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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.
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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.








