Northrop Grumman is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer to join our Armament Systems business unit, supporting manufacturing operations at our Independence, MO, facility
Position Description
This position provides multifunctional engineering guidance and support for manufacturing of current products, transition-to-production of new products, and testing of medium caliber ammunition. In general, as a lead member of an integrated product team, this individual will have a thorough understanding of both contract and technical requirements, be providing engineering support and work direction to manufacturing and test locations, investigating and solving product and manufacturing issues, coordinating efforts between internal functional groups, supporting manufacturing and ammunition testing, supporting communications with both internal and external customers, and providing support and oversight to material suppliers.
This role is located at our Independence, MO, manufacturing facility and will report to the Engineering Manager based in our Plymouth, MN office.
Typical Duties (Including but not limited to)
- Act as the technical interface to internal and external customers and form working relationships with representatives of these organizations
- Support the Program Manager as a control account manager to ensure accurate schedule and cost tracking
- Provide work direction and engineering support to our manufacturing and test locations with responsibilities to:
- Assist in the resolution of complex manufacturing line process issues such as machining, metal finishing, painting, heat treating, mechanical assembly, and test
- Research and evaluate commercially available tools and equipment to support manufacturing improvement activities
- Develop new, and improve existing manufacturing processes
- Develop task releases and introduce into the manufacturing system
- Develop test plans and support in execution
- Prepare for and support various engineering reviews including Build Readiness Reviews, Production Readiness Reviews, and Test Readiness Reviews
- Coordinate manufacturing efforts between internal functional disciplines including Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Manufacturing, and Test.
- Work with the program team on design and manufacturability issues including root cause analysis and corrective actions on processes and products for both internal and external sources
- As the engineer responsible for the product Technical Data Package, support the creation and release of Engineering Changes, disposition of tooling and gauge changes from internal and external sources, disposition of non-conforming products from internal and external sources, and approval of proposed process changes from internal and external sources
- Ownership of the creation, review, and maintenance of all necessary documentation required for new and existing manufacturing programs.
- Manufacturing work instructions
- Manufacturing bills of material and build lists
- TDP reviews for correctness and completeness
- Ensure appropriate documentation is in Configuration Management system
- Assist in the preparation of engineering and program proposals
- Assist in the preparation of and participate in customer meetings and program reviews
- Domestic travel up to about 25%. Ability to travel internationally.
Minimum Experience and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline + 8 years of experience in a design and manufacturing environment; OR
Master’s degree in an Engineering discipline + 6 years of experience in a design and manufacturing environment relevant to the duties listed above.
- Ability to guide successful completion of significant projects and provide leadership, work direction, mentoring, and coordination of other technical team members.
- Significant experience working and communicating with customers, program management, and engineering management
- Technical understanding of mechanical systems, electromechanical systems, manufacturing processes, metal coatings, heat treatments, metal fabrication, and/or standard assembly processes
- Applies knowledge of engineering and scientific methods, theories and research techniques in the disciplined investigation and solution of technical problems.
- The person filling this position must be able to work with a wide variety of multi-disciplined organizations, in remote settings, interact with them frequently, building strong trusting relationships.
- Experience and proficiency in working with multiple projects.
- Self-motivated to start and complete quality work
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong computer skills and fluency in Microsoft Office applications.
- Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
- US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED.
Desired Experience and Skills
- Familiarity and experience with energetic materials typically found in medium caliber ammunition.
- Familiarity and experience with the manufacture and test of medium caliber ammunition.
- Experience working at a site compliant with AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, or equivalent.
- Experience leading projects and people from a non-managerial perspective.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline and 8 years of experience in a design and manufacturing environment, or a master's degree in engineering and 6 years of relevant experience
- Ability to lead significant projects and provide leadership, work direction, mentoring, and coordination of technical team members
- Significant experience communicating with customers, program management, and engineering management
- Technical understanding of mechanical and electromechanical systems, manufacturing processes, metal coatings, heat treatments, metal fabrication, or assembly processes
- Knowledge of engineering and scientific methods for investigating and solving technical problems
- Ability to work with multidisciplinary organizations and build strong working relationships
- Experience managing multiple projects
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong computer skills and fluency in Microsoft Office applications
- U.S. citizenship
- Familiarity with energetic materials used in medium-caliber ammunition
- Experience manufacturing and testing medium-caliber ammunition
- Experience working at an AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, or equivalent compliant site
- Experience leading projects and people without formal managerial authority
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.








