Northrop Grumman’s Defense Systems sector is currently seeking a Tooling Engineer 2 to support our growing business in our Rocket Center, West Virginia location.
This position will be located at on-site at our Rocket Center, WV location. No remote work is available for this position.
Rocket Center, WV is located along the North Branch Potomac River in Mineral County, West Virginia and is home to the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL), a government installation operated by Northrop Grumman. Known for its scenic mountain landscapes, rolling hills and state parks, the region offers a multitude of outdoor recreational opportunities to include hiking, mountain biking, skiing, fishing, hunting and whitewater rafting. Where can you get to from Rocket Center? We are just a couple hours from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh and not far from Philadelphia, Virginia and Ohio. If you enjoy a beautiful all-weather climate, low cost of living, zero gridlock traffic, outdoor activities, and easy access
Learn more about our site here:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/careers/northrop-grumman-in-rocket-center-west-virginia
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Coordination of design and fabrication requirements for tools and fixtures with customers, both internal and external
- Performing tolerance analysis to ensure form/fit/function
- Conduct root cause failure investigations and implement associated corrective actions
- Develop & evaluate process improvements
- Assist Product Development Team with new product designs to ensure manufacturability, validate process/technology.
- Managing all phases of project: design, document, fabricate, assemble and validate
- Interface with review team to assure customer satisfaction with design
- Work alongside the manufacturing team to ensure overall program quality, delivery, and cost objectives are achieved
- Work with internal Customers to concept needed support equipment for new and existing programs
- Developing tooling concepts, creating/reviewing, and improving manufacturing processes to meet Customer requirements
- Understand/monitor cost and schedule
- Review engineering drawings and designs for manufacturability
- Support vendors as needed during fabrication
Core Competencies
- Manufacturing Methods - Knowledge of manufacturing, methods, fabrication processes (e.g., forming, stamping, machining, heat treatment, machines/machine tools, cutting tools and fluids, N/C programming, instrumentation, data acquisition and control systems). Ability to select the best method of producing parts, tools or assemblies
- Project Management - Successful project management and leadership experience. Coordination of design and fabrication requirements for tools and fixtures with customers, both internal and external.
- Computer Aided Design Tools - Basic knowledge of computer aided design tools and systems (e.g., computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM).
- Engineering Drawings & Specs - Basic ability to read, understand, and interpret engineering drawings and specifications. Basic level under‐standing of GD&T
Basic Qualifications:
- Level 2: Bachelor’s STEM Degree with 2 years of experience OR a Master's STEM Degree with 0 years of experience medium to large scale tooling fabrication and/or production fabrication including composites, metallic, coatings application, and/or production manufacturing operations
- This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a DOD Secret Clearance
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
- Direct Aerospace Tooling experience
- Direct Experience with NX or some CAD
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 2 years of experience, or a master’s degree in a STEM field with 0 years of experience
- Experience with medium- to large-scale tooling fabrication and/or production fabrication, including composites, metallics, coatings application, and/or production manufacturing operations
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense Secret clearance
- U.S. citizenship for government-cleared positions
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
- Direct aerospace tooling experience
- Experience with NX or another CAD system
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.








