Principal Board Designer/Senior Principal Board Designer

Northrop Grumman • Baltimore, MD

6d • $98,900 - $185,000

About The Position

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Principal or Senior Principal Board Designer to join its eCAD team in Baltimore, Maryland. The role creates high-quality printed circuit board (PCB) layouts that meet electrical, mechanical, and manufacturability requirements for a broad portfolio of defense-grade products. The designer works with schematic designers, hardware engineers, mechanical designers, and manufacturing teams to convert concepts into production-ready board designs. Full-time telework may be considered. The position requires the ability to obtain or maintain an active U.S. Government Secret clearance, or successfully transfer one, before starting. U.S. citizenship is required. Travel is 10% of the time; relocation assistance is not available.

The opening may be filled at either the Principal or Senior Principal level. Principal applicants must meet the stated degree-and-experience combination: a bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience, a master’s degree with 3 years, or a Ph.D. with 1 year in a STEM or related technical field; an additional 4 years of experience may substitute for a degree. Senior Principal applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with 8 years, a master’s degree with 6 years, or a Ph.D. with 4 years in a STEM or related technical field; an additional 4 years of experience may substitute for a degree.

The primary-level salary range is $98,900–$148,300, and the secondary-level salary range is $123,400–$185,000. Depending on the position, employees may also be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus. The company offers a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment intended to support employee growth and mutual success.

Requirements

• For the Principal level: bachelor’s degree plus 5 years of experience, master’s degree plus 3 years, or Ph.D. plus 1 year in a STEM or related technical field; an additional 4 years of experience may substitute for a degree.
• For the Senior Principal level: bachelor’s degree plus 8 years of experience, master’s degree plus 6 years, or Ph.D. plus 4 years in a STEM or related technical field; an additional 4 years of experience may substitute for a degree.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• At least 5 years of hands-on PCB layout experience in a high-volume or high-complexity environment involving digital, mixed-signal, or RF designs.
• At least 3 years of experience with Mentor Graphics, including advanced routing and stack-up configuration; experience with alternate routing software may be considered.
• At least 3 years of working knowledge of IPC 2221, IPC 6012 and 13, IPC 7351, and GD&T for PCB design.
• Ability to obtain or maintain an active U.S. Government Secret clearance, or successfully transfer one, before starting.

Nice To Haves

• Expert working knowledge of the Mentor Xpedition software suite.
• Experience with high-speed digital design at 5 Gbps or greater, or RF/microwave PCB design.
• Experience with High Density Interconnect (HDI) and/or array designs.
• Experience with power PCB designs.
• Familiarity with 3-D mechanical integration tools such as SolidWorks, NX, and Enovia.
• Working knowledge of industry compliance standards, including ASME-Y14.5.
• Demonstrated success working in collaborative, fast-paced development teams.
• Expert written and verbal communication skills, including comfort presenting technical concepts to cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop complete, multilayer PCB layouts, including component placement and routing, meeting signal integrity, power distribution, and EMC requirements.
• Perform automated design rule checks, signal integrity simulations, and thermal analyses; resolve violations and document compliance.
• Present designs in cross-functional reviews with electrical, mechanical, and reliability teams, incorporate feedback, and drive design closure.
• Work with PCB fabricators and assemblers on design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly, optimizing stack-up, trace widths, via strategies, and test-point placement.
• Generate production documentation, including TGZ and drill files, and ensure data integrity in the PLM system.
• Mentor junior designers on best practices, standards, and tool use, and lead short technical workshops within the eCAD group.
• Evaluate emerging PCB technologies, including high-speed, flex-rigid, and HDI, and recommend tooling or workflow improvements.

Benefits

• Health Plan and health insurance coverage
• Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• Company-paid holidays
• Education Assistance
• Training and Development
• 9/80 work schedule where available
• Life and disability insurance
• Potential overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus, depending on position

What This Job Offers

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