Manufacturing Engineering Manager 3

Northrop Grumman • Elkton, MD

1d • $152,300 - $228,500 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman is seeking an experienced, technically strong, compliance-driven Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead the Manufacturing and Infrastructure Engineering organization at its Propulsion Systems and Controls facility in Elkton, Maryland. The organization includes manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, tooling engineering, technical writing, and continuous improvement. The Elkton site designs, develops, and produces solid-propellant propulsion and ordnance systems for government and commercial customers, and supports offsite engineering and test facilities in New York and Florida.

In this senior management role, the position drives operational excellence, process stabilization, and mission readiness across campus manufacturing areas. The manager leads engineers and technical writers and partners with internal and external stakeholders to maintain regulatory compliance, ensure manufacturability, and support successful new product introduction. The role oversees engineering throughout manufacturing design, development qualification, pre-production readiness, production, and real-time floor support. It also establishes department objectives and metrics, manages resources and budgets, drives continuous improvement, and develops the organization’s talent and succession pipeline.

The position requires the ability to obtain a Secret clearance, for which U.S. citizenship is a prerequisite. The role is subject to a Federal Explosives License requirement at the location; the successful candidate must submit an Employee Possessor Questionnaire to ATF for approval. Relocation assistance may be available, and travel is approximately 10%.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field and at least 10 years of experience in a manufacturing or engineering environment; alternatively, a master's degree and at least 8 years of such experience.
• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience leading and building teams.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Experience with resource planning and allocation and budget management.
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, with demonstrated ability to work with and satisfy internal and external customers.
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft 365 suite.
• Proficiency in business systems used in process engineering, such as ESI, SAP, TcUA, SmartSolve, Primavera, or equivalents.
• Ability to obtain a Secret clearance; U.S. citizenship is required.
• Submit an Employee Possessor Questionnaire to ATF for approval to be a possessor, as required for this location.

Nice To Haves

• At least 7 years of successful employee leadership experience, including experience managing organizations of 50 or more individuals.
• Master's degree or MBA.
• Hands-on experience managing schedules and budgets, with fluency in earned value management.
• Experience with MRP demand-driven operations management systems such as SAP.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Experience implementing affordability initiatives that improve product quality, reduce overall cost, or improve schedule.
• Experience supporting root cause and corrective action analysis using methods such as fault trees, Kepner-Tregoe analysis, or 5 Whys.
• Experience transitioning new products into production using APQP, Stage-Gate, or MRL frameworks.
• Active Secret or higher clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Manufacturing and Infrastructure Engineering organization, including manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, tooling engineering, technical writing, and continuous improvement.
• Direct engineering across manufacturing design, development qualification, pre-production readiness, production, real-time floor support, and the development of compliant and streamlined processes.
• Oversee cross-functional work to ensure process readiness, on-schedule production operations, safe processes, zero-defect hardware, and real-time issue resolution.
• Develop and implement continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma objectives to improve safety, product quality, manufacturing efficiency, waste reduction, cost, and future readiness.
• Ensure engineering activities comply with applicable business and regulatory requirements.
• Establish department goals, key performance indicators, and resource allocation plans aligned with corporate and business objectives.
• Lead structured root cause and corrective action investigations to eliminate systemic defects and resolve complex corrective and preventive actions.
• Foster a culture of safety, technical excellence, professional development, accountability, and enjoyment.
• Develop succession plans for leaders and subject matter experts, and coach and mentor employees for increased responsibility.
• Maintain strong relationships with senior leadership, employees, support organizations, and customers.
• Manage department operational and personnel budgets and targets.
• Make timely, informed decisions; identify and address problems and root causes; and communicate clearly and concisely.
• Integrate advanced manufacturing technologies, such as automation, robotics, machine vision, and Industry 4.0 solutions, where applicable.
• Lead technical transition to production and new product introduction, ensuring manufacturability and production readiness.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company-paid holidays
• Paid time off for vacation and/or personal business
• Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus, depending on the position.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager