Northrop Grumman is seeking an experienced high caliber Sr. Staff Supplier Quality Engineer with extensive background in Printed Wiring Boards (PWB), Supplier Process Audits, manufacturing process evaluation and development of inspection criteria to join the Mission System sector Supplier Performance Management Field Engineering Team.
This position will be required to work a 9/80 schedule with an estimated 50% of travel. Position is working out of our Baltimore/Linthicum, MD facility with the potential for hybrid.
What You'll Get to do:
- Partner with engineering, mission assurance, supply chain teams to support the qualification and ongoing quality engineering and technical oversight of suppliers in the Printed Wiring Board (PWB) commodity.
- Lead on-site supplier engagements, including performance reviews, process and Quality Management System audits. Effectively develop and execute supplier management strategies that result in supplier performance improvement.
- Serve as a lead for suppler product readiness reviews , and other similar assessments such as manufacturing readiness reviews, as needed. Position requires collaboration with other functions (Supply Chain, Engineering, Mission Assurance and Manufacturing) to ensure quality standards are in place.
- Engage with Program, Engineering and Factory Cells to aid in resolving supplier-related manufacturing issues. Develop, modify, apply and maintain quality evaluation and control systems and protocols for processing materials into partially finished or finished material product.
- Perform on-site supplier surveillance activities, including source inspections, FAI reviews, technical problem resolution, and risk mitigation.
- Effectively read and understand all elements of the Northrop Grumman technical data/drawing/specification packages and translate for suppliers and team members.
- Provide support to meet Supplier Performance Management (SPM) goals and objectives for the program. Provide inputs to quality reviews and supplier scorecards as needed.
- Lead and engage in risk assessment actions and data mining activities to identify continuous improvement opportunities across the supply base.
- Analyze and interpret data to identify suppliers’ process issues and identify the right audits to be conducted. When necessary, work with the appropriate stakeholders to develop the audit checklists.
- Provide technical leadership, direction and mentoring to other technical team members and supplier partners.
- Strong background in PWB design and related manufacturing processes
- Represent the company with credibility, confidence and professionalism.
- Apply technologies, scientific principles, theories and concepts to analyze and audit our suppliers’ processes and capabilities.
- Capable of leading cross-functional teams in pursuit of performance improvements aligned to department and organizational goals.
- Be able to analyze data, create Power Point slides according to its audience and present to all levels of leaderships.
- Able to use Tableau dashboards and SAP.
#MPR
Basic Qualifications for a Sr. Staff Supplier Quality Engineer 6 are:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM related field and a minimum of 14 years of related work experience in Quality, Manufacturing, Design Engineering and/or PWB manufacturing or a Masters in STEM with a minimum of 12 years of related work experience in Quality, Manufacturing, Design Engineering and/or PWB manufacturing or a PhD and a minimum of 10 years of work experience in Quality, Manufacturing, Design Engineering and/or PWB manufacturing.
- Experience leading audits, teams and projects.
- Experience in ISO 9001 or AS9100 requirements.
- Experience with Printed Wiring Board Background.
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing
- Experience with RCCA
- Certification in IPC-600 and IPC-6012
- Must be able to travel up to 50% of the time.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.
- US Citizenship required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Possess current government active Secret Clearance.
- Experience working in the defense industry.
- Process knowledge and manufacturing engineering experience in PWB, CCAs, microelectronics, RF devices, electro-mechanical systems, and Power Supplies.
- Certification in J-STD-001, 610, 6018, 620 or Mil-Std-883.
- Experience with Space Requirements.
- Six Sigma Black Belt or Lean certifications.
- Lead auditor experience to ISO 9001 and AS9100, AS9102 requirements.
- ASQ Lead Auditor, CQE, CQM Certification.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field with 14+ years related experience (or Master's +12 years, PhD +10 years)
- Experience leading audits, teams, and projects
- Experience with ISO 9001 or AS9100 requirements
- Printed Wiring Board (PWB) background and related manufacturing experience
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
- Experience with RCCA (root cause corrective action)
- Certification in IPC-600 and IPC-6012
- Ability to travel up to 50% of the time
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance
- U.S. Citizenship (required for clearance)
- Ability to use Tableau dashboards and SAP
- Ability to create and present PowerPoint presentations to leadership
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.







