Sr. Principal Process Engineer

Posted Yesterday
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Plymouth, MN, USA
In-Office
123K-185K Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Logistics • Security • Software • Cybersecurity
The Role
Provide technical leadership and project management for large-caliber ammunition production. Develop and oversee production processes, lead failure investigations and corrective actions, interpret test results, drive continuous improvement (SPC, PFMEA, gage R&R, value stream mapping), represent Northrop Grumman to customers and suppliers, and support program milestones. Role includes ~25% domestic travel and requires ability to obtain security clearance and U.S. citizenship.
Summary Generated by Built In
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the TimeDescription

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman is currently seeking an experienced Senior Principal Process Engineer to provide manufacturing and process engineering technical expertise and project management for our large caliber ammunition (LCA) production programs in our Plymouth, MN offices. This position is focused on providing technical leadership in the manufacturing of large caliber cartridges and ammunition propulsion systems and supports the ammunition business segment at Armament Systems Division.

This career opportunity is a great fit for a self-motivated, proactive individual who wants to plan and run projects for the Northrop Grumman LCA production team. Our engineers work in a high exposure, fast paced, and exciting environment that involves hands-on technical challenges, problem solving, and inter-department collaborations. The candidate will apply strong engineering fundamentals, demonstrate clear communication with those they interact with, and must be able to support up to 25% of domestic travel for the duration of the program. If you thrive on attention to detail and want different challenges each day, this is the place for you.

Position Description

  • This position reports to the LCA engineering manager and is responsible for providing technical leadership, engineering oversight and support on LCA production programs.

  • Development and oversight of production processes for production at Plymouth, other Northrop Grumman locations and subcontractors, focusing on 120mm and 105mm cartridges and ammunition propulsion systems.

  • Provide manufacturing engineering project management and leadership.

  • Support and/or lead failure investigations, root cause determination, and corrective action implementation.

  • Communicating issues and status frequently and effectively both verbally and in writing.

  • Engineering oversight and interpretation of acceptance and qualification testing results of ammunition materials and components.

  • Contribute to completion of specific program and project milestones.

  • Represent Northrop Grumman to our customers and suppliers.

  • Travel (approximately 25%) domestically to customers and suppliers representing Northrop Grumman’s program and business interests.

  • Conceptualize and implement continuous improvement projects internally and with suppliers.

  • Implement and manage strong manufacturing engineering principles to ensure robust production process and high product quality. Examples are SPC, PFMEA, mistake proofing, gauge R&R, production readiness reviews, equipment and gage qualifications, capacity analysis, value stream mapping, and first article inspections.

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree plus 8 years of experience, a Master’s degree plus 6 years of experience, or a PhD plus 4 years of experience.

  • Engineering experience supporting a production line environment.

  • Experience working with customer engineering, vendors, and subcontractors.

  • Proven partnership/collaboration skills and ability to partner with cross disciplines within a team.

  • Exceptional communication skills (verbal, written, presentation) across all levels of the organization.

  • Proficiency in geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).

  • Ability to travel

  • Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

  • Must be U.S. Citizen.

Preferred Qualifications

  • M.S. Engineering degree from an accredited university

  • Experience with leading teams

  • Supporting failure analysis within an 8D framework

  • Experience with energetics and ballistic testing

  • Experience with managing cost and schedule

  • Experience working in the defense industry and/or with U.S. Government contracts

  • Experience writing statements of work and estimating project scope

Primary Level Salary Range: $123,400.00 - $185,000.00

The 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 plus 8 years experience OR Master's plus 6 years OR PhD plus 4 years
  • Engineering experience supporting a production line environment
  • Experience working with customer engineering, vendors, and subcontractors
  • Proven partnership and collaboration skills with cross-functional teams
  • Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation communication skills
  • Proficiency in geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
  • Ability to travel (approximately 25%)
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
  • U.S. Citizenship
  • M.S. Engineering degree from an accredited university
  • Experience with leading teams
  • Supporting failure analysis within an 8D framework
  • Experience with energetics and ballistic testing
  • Experience managing cost and schedule
  • Experience working in the defense industry and/or with U.S. Government contracts
  • Experience writing statements of work and estimating project scope

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

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The Company
HQ: Charlotte, North Carolina
85,636 Employees

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.

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