Sentinel Principal / Sr Principal Manufacturing Engineer - 20466
About The Position
Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is hiring a Principal or Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer for its Production Operations Manufacturing Engineering team supporting the Sentinel program in Vandenberg, California. The role supports engineering activities for deploying critical test systems, including fabrication, assembly, system integration, deployment, installation, and testing of engineered products. It involves working with suppliers to develop compliant Manufacturing Plans, conducting Manufacturing Readiness Assessment events, creating Bills of Materials, developing work and installation instructions, supporting system testing, and designing tools. The engineer provides technical and administrative leadership to program Integrated Product Team cohorts and suppliers, and serves as a technical contact and subject matter expert. The role collaborates with design and integration teams, supports field installations and testing, resolves complex process and technical issues, and ensures compliance with Engineering and Manufacturing Development Statement of Work requirements. The position is based in Vandenberg, CA, requires an active U.S. Department of Defense Secret clearance, and includes travel of 10% of the time. The standard schedule is 9/80, with every other Friday off. Relocation assistance may be available.
Requirements
- For Principal level: bachelor’s degree and 5 years of experience, master’s degree and 3 years, or PhD and 1 year; 4 additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- For Senior Principal level: bachelor’s degree and at least 8 years of experience, master’s degree and 6 years, or PhD and 4 years; 4 additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- At least 3 years of work experience in a digital manufacturing environment using core systems such as PLM, ERP, or MES.
- Active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance and ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program approval within a reasonable period, as determined by the company.
- Ability to support travel; the position requires travel 10% of the time.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in an engineering discipline such as Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or Aerospace Engineering.
- Experience working in a test environment.
- Experience deploying engineering solutions to the field.
- Previous production experience on a military program.
- Previous experience on Engineering and Manufacturing Development projects.
- Experience with Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM).
- Understanding of Manufacturing Readiness Assessments and establishing Manufacturing Readiness Levels per DoD customer requirements.
- Prior experience developing and designing tooling for field work and installations.
- Understanding of tooling, work instructions, and visual aids.
Responsibilities
- Represent the organization as a technical contact, interact with senior personnel on technical matters, facilitate inter-team coordination, and reinforce leadership’s vision and goals.
- Develop production and installation processes by studying requirements and researching, designing, modifying, and testing methods and equipment.
- Collaborate with Design Engineering to ensure practical manufacturing, installation, and fabrication solutions.
- Coordinate day-to-day activities with integration teams and resolve complex process issues.
- Research and evaluate commercially available tools and equipment to support test activities.
- Investigate the root causes of discrepancies and implement corrective actions.
- Troubleshoot existing processes to improve safety, quality, cost, and efficiency.
- Develop and maintain detailed work and installation instructions for assigned products and processes.
- Educate and train operators on new and existing processes.
- Establish and maintain a program project plan and schedule aligned with the program Integrated Master Schedule.
- Provide on-site engineering support during field installations.
- Provide advanced technical ideas and subject matter expertise to resolve technical questions and ensure compliance with Engineering and Manufacturing Development Statement of Work requirements.
- Implement Lean practices to identify opportunities for continual improvement.
- Support production documentation and data, Build/Buy activities, assembly and installation instructions, specialty tooling design and production, and field-test engineering support as a team liaison and subject matter expert.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k)
- Educational assistance
- Life insurance
- Employee assistance programs and work/life solutions
- Paid time off
- Health and wellness resources
- Employee discounts
- Disability insurance
- Company-paid holidays
- Potential eligibility for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus
- Relocation assistance may be available
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
