Quality Engineer/Principal Quality Engineer 2/3

Northrop Grumman • Sykesville, MD

3d • $79,600 - $148,300 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is seeking a Quality Engineer/Principal Quality Engineer to join its team in Sykesville, Maryland. The position may be filled at Level 2 or Level 3 and supports quality engineering across products, processes, and services. The role develops and maintains quality evaluation and control systems, partners with engineering and manufacturing to uphold standards, and designs and analyzes inspection and testing processes. It also audits quality systems, manages nonconformances, drives corrective actions and continuous improvement, and applies relevant company policies and industry standards. The position requires clear coordination with production-floor personnel and other stakeholders. Travel is 10% of the time; relocation assistance is not available.

Requirements

• Level 2: Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM field and at least 2 years of engineering experience performing technical job functions in Quality Assurance (which may include failure investigation and root-cause identification), Manufacturing, Process, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering; or a master's degree in a STEM field in Quality Assurance or one of the listed engineering fields, performing technical job functions.
• Level 3: Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM field and at least 5 years of engineering experience performing technical job functions in Quality Assurance (which may include failure investigation and root-cause identification), Manufacturing, Process, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering; or a master's degree in a STEM field and at least 3 years of such engineering experience.
• Experience with data analytics and statistical analysis methods and techniques.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret Clearance.
• U.S. citizenship required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with at least one of the following standards: IPC, J-Std, or MIL-STD.
• Experience with ISO 9001 or AS9100 Quality Management Systems and AS9102 First Article Inspections (FAI).
• Green/Black Belt certification in Lean Six Sigma.
• Certification in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Certified auditor.
• Experience facilitating RCCAs with technical groups.
• SAP experience.
• Active U.S. Government Secret Clearance.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams to resolve problems or issues.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, Minitab, or equivalent tools for statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of modern skillsets such as Artificial Intelligence, SQL, and Power BI for data analysis and visualization.
• Experience with FMEAs, CARs, and audit processes.
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).
• Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) – IPC-A-610.
• Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) – IPC/WHMA-A-620.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop staff.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, apply, and maintain quality evaluation and control systems and protocols for processing materials into semi-finished or finished products.
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing to establish and uphold quality standards.
• Design, analyze, and implement inspection and testing processes and equipment; conduct quality assurance tests and statistical analyses to determine the cost and responsibility for non-conforming parts.
• Audit quality systems, identify deficiencies, and drive corrective actions that meet reliability and documentation requirements; plan, conduct, report, and follow up on audits to ensure compliance and continual process improvement.
• Identify and remove barriers to quality improvement through root-cause analysis and corrective-action planning.
• Review contracts, statements of work, and drawings to evaluate, interpret, and apply company policies and applicable ISO 9000, AS9102, MIL, IPC, and other standards.
• Interface with production-floor roles, including inspection, assembly, and operations, and communicate clearly with stakeholders.
• Define, classify, and control quality characteristics for products, processes, and services; develop and validate control plans and work-instruction updates.
• Manage facility nonconformances and lead cross-functional containment efforts to ensure product compliance.
• Create, use, and interpret quality-control tools such as flowcharts, Pareto charts, and control charts; construct and interpret FMEAs.
• Interpret technical drawings and specifications, including GD&T symbols, to verify compliance with design requirements.
• Apply benchmarking techniques to drive system-wide quality improvements.
• Facilitate team collaboration using brainstorming, conflict-resolution, and other facilitation tools.
• Specialize as needed in design, incoming material, production control, product evaluation, reliability, inventory control, or R&D as they relate to product or process quality.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company-paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• Potential overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus depending on position

What This Job Offers

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