Principal/Senior Principal Electromechanical Reliability Engineer
About The Position
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is hiring a Principal or Senior Principal Electromechanical Reliability Engineer for its Reliability Analysis Laboratory group in Linthicum, Maryland. The role is part of the hardware engineering organization and supports high-visibility investigations of component-level failures. The engineer will analyze failure causes, guide multidisciplinary teams toward corrective actions, and collaborate with materials, design, manufacturing, and test engineering to ensure products meet customer reliability and performance requirements. The work involves diagnosing and isolating electrical and thermal failure modes with characterization tools; investigating component- and device-level issues; and analyzing electronic components using nondestructive and destructive techniques. The engineer will participate in technical reviews, communicate findings and status to program stakeholders and management, and contribute to reliability improvements across design, manufacturing, and qualification. The position requires full-time onsite work at the Linthicum, Maryland facility and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance. The role requires travel 10% of the time. Relocation assistance may be available.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience for Principal Engineer; master’s degree and 3 years; Ph.D. and 1 year; or an additional 4 years of experience in lieu of a degree.
- Bachelor’s degree and at least 8 years of relevant experience for Senior Principal Engineer; master’s degree and 6 years; Ph.D. and 4 years; or an additional 4 years of experience in lieu of a degree.
- Degree or experience must be in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field.
- U.S. citizenship is required.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance.
- At least 5 years of experience with electronic circuit schematics and component failure modes/mechanisms for Principal Engineer, or at least 8 years for Senior Principal Engineer.
- Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills to interact with team members, peers, leadership, and customers; specified as a basic qualification for Principal Engineer.
- Ability to work full-time onsite at the Northrop Grumman Mission Systems facility in Linthicum, Maryland.
- Fundamental knowledge of electronic-device failure mechanisms and accelerated life testing.
- Familiarity with reading electronic schematics for electronic components and circuit cards.
- Working knowledge of compound semiconductor fabrication and testing.
- Fundamental knowledge of electronic package construction and functionality, including FPGA, QFN, wire-bonding, and flip-chip devices.
Nice To Haves
- Current or active U.S. Government Secret clearance.
- Electrical engineering degree or equivalent industry experience.
- Hands-on experience diagnosing complex electronic-device issues caused by electrical, thermal, mechanical, material, design, or manufacturing defects.
- Hands-on electrical testing experience with electronic components and RF devices.
- Knowledge of failure mechanisms and accelerated life testing under JEDEC, MIL, and IPC standards.
- Experience using curve tracers, power supplies, source meters, and data-logging equipment.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to interface with employees, management, and customers at all levels.
- Ability to read circuit schematics and mechanical drawings.
- Innovative, problem-solving mindset and ability to communicate complex technical issues to customers.
- Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills for interacting with team members, peers, leadership, and customers.
Responsibilities
- Diagnose and isolate failure modes using electrical and thermal characterization tools, including oscilloscopes, parametric analyzers, and curve tracers.
- Investigate root causes of component- and device-level failures, including shorts, opens, excessive leakage, performance degradation, and thermal instability.
- Analyze electronic components using nondestructive and destructive techniques such as X-ray imaging, acoustic microscopy, time-domain reflectometry, and IV curves.
- Collaborate with engineers across disciplines to determine root causes and recommend corrective actions that improve reliability throughout design, manufacturing, and qualification.
- Participate in technical reviews and share analysis results with program stakeholders.
- Communicate technical results and status updates to management and program stakeholders.
- Support high-visibility component-level investigations and guide multidisciplinary engineering teams toward corrective actions.
Benefits
- Health plan and health insurance coverage
- Savings plan
- Paid time off for vacation and/or personal business
- Education assistance
- Training and development
- 9/80 work schedule where available
- Life and disability insurance
- Company-paid holidays
- Possible overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus, depending on the position
- Possible long-term incentives for employees in Vice President or Director positions
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
