Principal/Sr Principal Material Process Engineer

Northrop Grumman•Santa Rosa, CA

33d•$103,600 - $193,900•Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for an Principal Engineer Material Process / Sr Principal Engineer Material Process to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals under one of NGs Small Business Units, Sonoma Photonics, Inc. This role will be located onsite in Santa Rosa, CA. The Material Process Engineer role blends hands‑on work with deposition equipment and desk‑based design/analysis activities. The incumbent will receive technical guidance from senior engineers, program managers, and supervisory staff while contributing independently to product development and program delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s of Science degree in STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) and 5 years professional experience.
Related experience could include but not limited to manufacturing, thin-film process engineering, RF/microwave modeling, process engineering, project engineering/management.
Experience in Microsoft Office including Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Ability to work safely in environments where chemicals are present and to follow all required PPE and hazardous‑material protocols.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret level DOD security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite) as well as Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
Bachelor’s of Science Degree in STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) and 9 years of related professional/military engineering experience OR Master’s Degree in STEM and 0 years of engineering experience

Nice To Haves

Experience in Project Management or leading teams.
Hands‑on experience with thin‑film processes and thin‑film modeling tools (e.g., TFCalc, OptiLayer, etc.).
Working knowledge of statistical methods and data‑analysis techniques (e.g., DOE, SPC, regression analysis).
Familiarity with thin‑film materials and characterization techniques (ellipsometry, profilometry, spectrophotometry, etc.).
Experience modeling complex systems (e.g. RF/microwave modeling).
Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to clearly present concepts, findings, and recommendations to multidisciplinary teams.
Excellent organizational and time‑management abilities; proven track record of meeting project milestones.
Strong background in electromagnetics, especially as it relates to photonic or coating applications.
Active Secret DoD Security clearance/Program access

Responsibilities

Perform coating designs, tolerancing, analysis and process engineering for projects related to multiple technologies.
Apply, as well as design and develop new techniques and coatings to meet product needs.
Individually contribute to product development or program completion.
Run and debug deposition chambers.
Organize scheduling and testing of programs.
Ability to manage small projects and present technical content.
Devise and implement methods and procedures for inspecting, testing, and evaluating the precision and accuracy of products and production equipment.
Design and analyze inspection and testing processes, mechanisms, and equipment; conduct quality‑assurance tests; and perform statistical analysis to assess cost and determine responsibility for products or materials that do not meet required standards and specifications.
Work will be conducted in both an office and lab/manufacturing environment with possible exposure to chemicals.
Utilize required PPE (respirators, gloves, gowns, goggles, chemical fume hoods) and adhere to hazardous‑material handling protocols.