Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a Sr Staff Propulsion Engineer for Composite Case Manufacturing to join our team in Clearfield, UT. This position is primarily located in Clearfield, UT but requires travel and support of other Propulsion Systems case manufacturing locations (Promontory, UT, Magna, UT, and Salt Lake City, UT). The primary role of the Sr Staff Propulsion Engineer is to provide technical leadership and oversight for composite case processing operations across multiple manufacturing sites, ensuring that we meet safety, quality, cost, and schedule commitments. This role will also require collaboration with and guidance to other case manufacturers across the NG Enterprise. Their purpose is to better share lessons learned, best practices, and to develop and maintain case manufacturing standards across the enterprise. Close collaboration on new business opportunities with Business Development, Industrial Engineering, and various Program Offices is also expected. This role leads and mentors Process Engineers, as well as other cross-functional departments. This role drives manufacturing excellence through data-driven decision-making, and serves as the focal point for process optimization, equipment changes, facility design reviews, and corrective actions. This position ensures the team meets program objectives, improves operational performance, and ensures compliance with manufacturing standards and engineering requirements.
Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Establish, foster, and maintain a culture of Safety First
- Provide technical authority and oversight for the entire Case Manufacturing Process Engineering organization, establishing strategy, standards, and best practices
- Act as the go-to authority for Case Manufacturing across Propulsion Systems
- Act as the technical Point of Contact (POC) to customers, representing Process Engineering in meetings, addressing technical inquiries, and translating customers’ needs into actionable deliverables
- Lead and mentor Case Manufacturing Process Engineering organization, fostering collaboration and high performance
- Conduct Peer Reviews of all planning changes, PFMEAs, CONOPS, MBOMs, and other Process Engineering deliverables as the Case Manufacturing Sr SME
- Interface with cross-functional departments and other campuses, as needed, as the technical POC
- Attend Design, Tooling, and Facility drawing reviews and advise when necessary
- Driver and/or active involvement in CapEx plans and execution
- Driver and/or active involvement in IRAD plan and execution
- Instrumental in creating/reviewing FEO/TCN design criteria for new/modified facilities, equipment, and manufacturing buildings
- Lead or facilitate failure investigations to direct/root cause and develop robust corrective actions
- Lead the team through development and implementation of error-proofing projects
- Drive process improvements across the Case Manufacturing Process team
- Ability to support on-site at Clearfield, Copper Crossing, Promontory, or Bacchus when needed
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering with 14 years professional experience – or – Master’s degree with 12 years of professional experience – or – PhD with 10 years of professional experience
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
- Strong understanding of solid rocket motor case design, manufacturing, and test
- Demonstrated success leading high performance, cross-functional technical teams
- Ability to motivate and guide teams and activities with a staff that does not formally report to you
- Demonstrated ability to act as the technical point of contact to Executive leadership and/or Customers stakeholder addressing technical requests and translating into actionable deliverables
- Demonstrated experience supporting multiple programs and sites
- Skilled at steering multiple initiatives simultaneously from conception to delivery
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Management or other related fields is preferred
- Active or current Secret or Top Secret security clearance.
- Deep knowledge (the how and why) of the details and hands-on experience of all case manufacturing processes, which include but are not limited to: Molding, Wound Elastomer Insulation (WEI), Composite Winding and Cure, Composite Machining, Hand Operations / Bracketry, Hydro and Structural Testing, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Case Handling / Shipping
- Experience with new manufacturing building designs, including evaluation and selection of facilities to meet design and rate demands of our customers
- Experience leading and/or being a lead investigator in a failure investigation, driving to find root cause and implementing effective corrective actions to prevent future failures
- Experience with evaluating CapEx needs and developing business justification plans for capital expenditure
- Deep understanding of command media, and practice with developing/writing/updating command media where needed
- Experience with Design of Experiment (DOE), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and 6 sigma concepts for process development and control
- Strong knowledge of GD&T tolerance analysis
- Excellent written / oral communication, time management, and organizational abilities
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering with 14 years of professional experience
- Master’s degree with 12 years of professional experience, or PhD with 10 years of professional experience
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
- Strong understanding of solid rocket motor case design, manufacturing, and test
- Experience leading high-performance, cross-functional technical teams
- Ability to motivate and guide teams without formal reporting authority
- Experience serving as a technical point of contact for executive leadership and/or customers
- Experience supporting multiple programs and sites
- Ability to manage multiple initiatives from conception through delivery
- Advanced degree in STEM, management, or a related field
- Active or current Secret or Top Secret security clearance
- Hands-on experience with composite case manufacturing processes
- Experience with manufacturing building design and facility evaluation
- Experience leading failure investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions
- Experience evaluating capital expenditure needs and developing business justification plans
- Experience developing and maintaining command media
- Experience with DOE, SPC, and Six Sigma concepts
- Strong knowledge of GD&T tolerance analysis
- Excellent written and oral communication, time management, and organizational 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.



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