Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is looking for you to join our team as a Manufacturing Systems Engineer Level 5 based out of Sunnyvale, CA.
The Manufacturing Systems Engineer develops requirements, performs technical planning, manufacturing system development/integration, verification and validation, and evaluates cost (implementation, savings and return on investment) and implementation/program risk impacts. Manufacturing systems engineers follow projects through all manufacturing readiness level phases: concept development, design, fabrication/assembly/test at lab level, production environment demo, full production operations implementation, sustainment/maintenance/ continuous improvement. These projects focus on advanced and emerging manufacturing capabilities/digital technologies with the goal of improving overall production manufacturing quality, span times/time to market and reduce cost. Leads project technical proposal/SOW writing & estimating while ensuring systemic conversion of requirements to design, implementation and production validations. Manages project cost and schedule through all phases and execution of transition to production activities of the developed systems to program and functional manufacturing spaces.
You will support and integrate into a marine propulsion development program through concept, preliminary and final design. The marine propulsion architecture consists of steam turbines, associated valves, linkage, couplings, reduction gears, ancillary equipment, shipboard tooling and manufacturing tooling. The program requires manufacturing input on functional design considerations, design for manufacturability/assembly and design for schedule/cost.
What You'll get to Do:
Propose new/improved manufacturing processes, assembly features/methods and tooling fixtures with the intent of reducing manufacturing time and cost
Provide input to develop efficient manufacturing process flows/sequences and optimize production area layouts
Make recommendation for manufacturing continuous improvement initiatives and implementation of new capital equipment for establishing efficient production processes
Perform Design for Manufacturability and Assembly (DFMA) studies on new product development initiatives and provide recommendations for implementation
Perform Design-to-Cost (DTC) assessments of new and existing products while maintaining performance
Integrate with and support the Integrated Product Team (IPT) consisting of Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Engineering, Operations, and Global Supply Chain to meet program goals.
Lead technical projects requiring project planning, scheduling, resource identification and financial management.
Basic Qualifications:
A Bachelor's degree in a related STEM discipline with a minimum of 12 years of relevant work experience in engineering and/or manufacturing; OR a Master's degree in a related STEM discipline with a minimum of 10 or more years of relevant work experience in engineering and/or manufacturing, OR a PhD in a related STEM discipline with a minimum of 8 or more years of relevant work experience in engineering and/or manufacturing.
Minimum 5 years experience interpreting, developing, and approving engineering drawings and/or schematics.
Minimum 5 years experience with mechanical assembly, machining, and/or fabrication manufacturing processes.
Experience working with cross-functional organizations (Program Office, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Field Operations, etc.)
Experience using Microsoft Office Applications (Power Point, Project, Excel Pivot Tables, V-Lookups and analyzing large data sets).
Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret Clearance.
US Citizenship required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Aeronautical Engineering.
Active US Government Secret Clearance.
Experience with propulsion and power plant machinery, heavy rotating elements, and/or large structural component fabrication.
Experience creating technical presentations for and presenting to program and executive leadership teams.
Experience with US Government/Navy production and design development programs.
Experience with applying Lean Six Sigma principles on low volume, high mix processes.
Experience with installation of new equipment and/or processing in a highly controlled environment.
An understanding of various manufacturing processes for high value gearing and steam turbine assemblies, machined components, and welded fabrications is desired.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a related STEM discipline and at least 12 years of relevant engineering or manufacturing experience
- Master's degree in a related STEM discipline and at least 10 years of relevant engineering or manufacturing experience
- PhD in a related STEM discipline and at least 8 years of relevant engineering or manufacturing experience
- At least 5 years of experience interpreting, developing, and approving engineering drawings or schematics
- At least 5 years of experience with mechanical assembly, machining, or fabrication manufacturing processes
- Experience working with cross-functional organizations
- Experience using Microsoft Office applications, including PowerPoint, Project, Excel Pivot Tables, and VLOOKUP
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret Clearance
- U.S. citizenship
- Master's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Aeronautical Engineering
- Active U.S. Government Secret Clearance
- Experience with propulsion and power plant machinery, heavy rotating elements, or large structural component fabrication
- Experience creating technical presentations for and presenting to program and executive leadership teams
- Experience with U.S. Government or Navy production and design development programs
- Experience applying Lean Six Sigma principles to low-volume, high-mix processes
- Experience installing new equipment or processing in a highly controlled environment
- Understanding of manufacturing processes for high-value gearing, steam turbine assemblies, machined components, and welded fabrications
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.







