Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a Senior Principal Mission Assurance Engineer – Level 4 to join our team in Gilbert, AZ. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
In this role you will implement and enforce mission assurance plans for individual spacecraft flight hardware programs addressing design, manufacturing, integration, and test activities in accordance with company and contractual requirements. You will work as a member of an integrated product team inside of the NG Safety & Mission Assurance organization. Within this organization, you will work with various disciplines to address technical issues, meet program requirements, and ensure mission success. You will interface with customers, vendors, and with NG Manufacturing, Integration & Test, and Engineering organizations to identify and resolve mission/flight assurance issues.
This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.
In this job, you will:
- Implements and administers an effective Safety and Mission Assurance program in compliance with applicable customer contracts and other guidelines set forth by Flight Systems Group requirements throughout the contract life cycle. An understanding of basic requirement traceability principles will be paramount for this duty.
- Ensures contractual program requirements are flowed down internally and to suppliers, ensures compliance with customer contract, industry, and organizational requirements. Performs verification and validation requirements have been met.
- Maintains close engagement with:
- the Supplier Quality organization to drive improvements from key suppliers.
- the Software Assurance organization to drive improvements during the Software Development Life Cycle.
- the Design Assurance organization to drive improvements during the selection and implementation of Parts, Materials and Processes.
- the Configuration Management organization to ensure the implementation of document and data control requirements
- the Product Assurance organization to ensure the implementation of workmanship requirements, quality oversight and effective work center corrective action when issues arise
- The EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) organization to ensure a safe workplace for personnel and operations
- Reviews practices, procedures, and processes, seeking avenues to improve efficiency and effectiveness, reducing risk to product quality
- Interprets technical and mission assurance requirements, ensuring integration to program plans, specifications and product drawings as well as verification of implementation.
- Provide oversight in discrepancy identification, failure investigations, and cause / corrective action implementation. Leads failure and problem-solving analyses
- Represents Mission Assurance at various review boards including Configuration Control Board (CCB), Engineering Change Board (ECR), Risk and Opportunity Management Board (ROMB), Corrective Action Board (CAB), Readiness Reviews, & Failure/Material Review Board (FRB/MRB)
- Supports tracking and reporting metrics, mission specific risk issues & develop, and present internal & external Mission Assurance briefings.
- Understand the definition of risk and be able to quantify it. Also ensure Risk Management activities are executed and maintained according to standards and procedures.
- Communicates the impacts and execution of program efforts, division quality, and contract requirements to all levels of the organization. May communicate to Government and customer representatives.
- Provides S&MA inputs and baseline estimations for future program proposal efforts. Engages in new business efforts representing the department and defining appropriate tailoring required to our nominal processes.
- Manages and tracks the new business efforts for the S&MA department; monitoring the due dates, scope of contract, and delegated activities. Maintains a tracker and repository for the proposals and assists in the risk assessment on a contract by contract basis.
- Control Account Manager (CAM) for the S&MA budget on program contracts using Earned Value Management System principles.
- Specialize in the areas of spacecraft design, incoming material management, production control, product evaluation and reliability, inventory control and/or research and development as they apply to product or process quality.
- Other duties as assigned
If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 8 years of professional experience – OR – Master’s degree with 6 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 4 years of professional experience.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top-Secret security clearance
- U.S. Citizenship
- Direct program experience working with the following disciplines: Program Management Office, Global Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Systems Engineering, Integration, Test & Launch, and Parts Materials & Process.
- Experience working with and managing subcontractors and working directly with customers.
- Experience with Risk and Opportunity Management.
- Proficient at proposal and Basis of Estimate development.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Active Top Secret clearance
- Experience on Space systems programs, such as payload, OR spacecraft bus, OR antenna, launch, OR ground systems, and/or operations and maintenance activities.
- Experience with the internal and external implementation of AS9100D
- Knowledge of EEE-INST-002, NASA-STD-6016 or other standards used for Part, Material or Process selection
- Experience with requirements management and the associated tools, i.e. DOORs supporting Validation and Verification
- Systems engineering experience on complex integrated systems.
- Experience on Government contracts.
- Extensive knowledge base in Cause Analysis tools, such as Ishikawa, FMEA, DOE, KTA (Kepner Tregoe Analysis)
- Experience interfacing with DCMA and Aerospace representatives
- Control Account Management experience with Earned Value Management practices.
- Familiarity with industry workmanship standards; NASA, MIL, NAS, IPC.
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
Primary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00The 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
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field with 8 years professional experience OR Master's with 6 years OR PhD with 4 years
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top-Secret security clearance
- U.S. Citizenship
- Direct program experience with Program Management Office, Global Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Systems Engineering, Integration, Test & Launch, and Parts Materials & Process
- Experience managing subcontractors and working directly with customers
- Experience with Risk and Opportunity Management
- Proficiency in proposal and Basis of Estimate development
- Active Top Secret clearance
- Experience on space systems programs (payload, spacecraft bus, antenna, launch, ground systems, operations)
- Experience with AS9100D implementation
- Knowledge of EEE-INST-002, NASA-STD-6016 or other part/material/process standards
- Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS) supporting V&V
- Systems engineering experience on complex integrated systems
- Experience on U.S. Government contracts and interfacing with DCMA/Aerospace representatives
- Familiarity with cause analysis tools (Ishikawa, FMEA, DOE, Kepner Tregoe)
- Control Account Management experience using Earned Value Management practices
- Familiarity with industry workmanship standards (NASA, MIL, NAS, IPC)
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.






