Principal / Sr. Principal Production Engineer - Robotics & Automation

Northrop Grumman•Plymouth, MN

3d•$98,900 - $185,000•Onsite

About The Position

This career opportunity is a great fit for a self‑motivated, proactive individual. Our engineers work in a high‑exposure, fast‑paced, and exciting environment that involves hands‑on technical challenges, problem solving, and inter‑department collaborations. The candidate will apply strong engineering fundamentals, demonstrate clear communication with all stakeholders, and thrive on attention to detail while tackling a variety of challenges each day. Northrop Grumman is currently seeking an experienced Principal (Level 3) or Senior Principal Engineer (Level 4) to provide manufacturing and process‑engineering technical expertise, project management, and comprehensive automation support for our fast‑growing medium‑caliber ammunition production programs in our Plymouth, MN offices. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, Production Engineering, this role is responsible for delivering end‑to‑end manufacturing engineering support for electro‑mechanical fuze assemblies while designing, deploying, and maintaining automation cells. The engineer will collaborate with project teams to streamline designs for enhanced manufacturability and automation, integrating cutting‑edge technologies such as robotics, advanced inspection, and testing to ensure rapid, cost‑effective delivery of high‑quality products.

Requirements

Level 3- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field & 5 years of related design and manufacturing experience, OR a Masters degree in a STEM field & 3 years of related design and manufacturing experience
Level 4- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field & 8 years of related design and manufacturing experience, OR a Masters degree in a STEM field & 6 years of related design and manufacturing experience
Robotics and controls experience (Allen Bradley, Epson / Fanuc Robots, Labview, Vision Systems, etc.)
Ability to guide successful completion of significant tasks and provide some work direction, mentoring, and coordination of other technical team members.
Some experience working and communicating with customers, program management, and engineering management.
Technical understanding of mechanical mechanisms, electromechanical mechanisms, manufacturing processes, metal fabrication, and standard assembly processes.
Applies knowledge of engineering and scientific methods, theories and research techniques in the disciplined investigation and solution of technical problems.
The person filling this position must be able to work with a wide variety of multi-discipline people, in remote settings, interact with them frequently, building strong trusting relationships.
Experience and proficiency in working with multiple projects.
Strong communication skills, written and verbal.
Strong computer skills in Microsoft Suite, including MS Project.
Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. (US Citizenship required)

Nice To Haves

Experience in managing key suppliers to deliver quality components to be used in the assembly of final product.
Experience working in the defense industry and/or with U.S. Government contracts
Data analytics experience (Kepware, Thingworx, Power BI, etc.)
Experience in Creo (3d CAD) and Teamcenter.
Proficiency in developing and utilizing Experience with electronic work instructions for manufacturing processes, with experience in ERP and MES systems.
Experience in the production of electronic assemblies, including Circuit Card Assemblies (CCAs) using Surface Mount Technology (SMT) lines, adhering to industry best practices.

Responsibilities

Support the implementation and ensure optimal uptime of automation solutions by coordinating prove-out plans and preventative maintenance, performing PFMEAs, spare part management, and training.
Work with project teams to coordinate design‑for‑manufacturability and automation opportunities for new product development efforts.
Leverage the latest technologies including robotics, vision / inspection, testing to ensure high quality and cost-effective products are released to market as quickly as possible.
Assist in automation standardization including acceptance checklists, PLC and data analytic platforms (Thingworx & Kepware), design for automation checklists, training (plc, robotics, safety) and foster cross-sector collaboration.
Aid in the design of production solutions, including automation cells, fixtures, and test stations, to achieve optimal, safe production output and quality.
Provide on‑site troubleshooting, maintenance, repairs, and upgrades for automation cells and associated equipment.
Develop manufacturing processes and documentation that ensures hardware and test articles meet engineering and configuration requirements.
Coordinate builds of electro-mechanical assemblies to support programs that are in engineering and manufacturing development as well as production.
Contribute to completion of specific program and project milestones.
Interface with design engineering to create products that are optimized for assembly.
Disposition discrepant hardware. Support and/or lead failure investigations, root cause determination, and corrective action implementation.
Communicates manufacturing plans and processes to internal and external customers through Manufacturing Readiness reviews.
Conceptualize and implement continuous improvement projects internally and with suppliers.
Communicate project status and issues to internal management.
Coordinate manufacturing efforts between internal functional disciplines including Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Manufacturing, and Test.
Communicates product requirements and collaborates with key suppliers to manage delivery of high quality components and assemblies to be utilized in assembly of final product
Implement and manage strong manufacturing engineering principles to ensure robust manufacturing process and high product quality. Examples are SPC, P-FMEA, Mistake Proofing, gage R&R, equipment and gage qualifications, Design for assembly, and First Article Inspections.