Staff Engineer Tool

Northrop Grumman•Palmdale, CA

2d•$161,000 - $241,400•Onsite

About The Position

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history. Northrop Grumman is looking for a design-oriented Staff Engineer to join our Tooling department on-site at Palmdale, CA. We are looking for an accomplished technical leader who is highly motivated to dive headfirst into the world of advanced tool design, structural optimization, and complex stress analysis. In this role, you will not just design; you will act as a principal face of the department and a cornerstone of our engineering team. You will drive a culture of excellence, providing technical mentorship to junior engineers and leading the design team to ensure strict compliance with rigorous aerospace regulations, corporate standards, and internal quality procedures. From concept to completion, you will work alongside industry experts to design and validate critical manufacturing assets, including complex assembly jigs, composite molds, lifting fixtures, and handling equipment. Utilizing cutting-edge simulation software and classical hand calculations, you will perform end-to-end Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and classical analytical stress analysis to guarantee structural integrity and margin-of-safety compliance. This highly collaborative position bridges the gap between digital innovation and physical execution, allowing you to work directly with shop-floor technicians and manufacturing engineers to see your advanced digital blueprints come to life on the production floor.

Requirements

Must have a Bachelor’s degree with 12 year of engineering experience or Master’s degree with 10 years of engineering experience or PhD with 9 years of engineering experience
Has an active Mechanical Professional Engineer (PE) license or an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate issued by the California BPELSG
Has advanced knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T/ASME Y 14.5)
Has demonstrated experience applying stress analysis techniques and concepts to validate structural integrity via hand calculations and FEA tools
Has experience with computer-aided design tools and systems (e.g., NX, Solidworks, or Catia)
Has experience in managing projects (cost, schedule, and technical performance)
Has experience in medium to large scale fabrication of tooling or production hardware, including composites, metallic structures, and coatings application
Must be a U.S. Citizen
This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance as well as Program Special access within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs
Has the ability to travel at least 10%

Nice To Haves

Has an active U.S. Government Secret security clearance
Has experience in utilizing Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) methodologies to investigate operational failures, identify systemic issues, and execute effective resolution strategies
Has experience in an aerospace manufacturing environment
Has the ability to read, interpret, and analyze technical models and drawings
Has experience coordinating with cross functional teams across multiple organizations
Has strong verbal and written communication skills tailored for various leadership levels
Has strong problem-solving skills with a collaborative approach to handling technical and team challenges

Responsibilities

Design precision tooling by creating detailed 3D CAD models and 2D engineering drawings using Siemens NX software
Create, manage, and release comprehensive Bills of Materials (BOMs) ensuring all raw materials, standard hardware, and manufactured components are accurately captured for tool fabrication
Apply Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) to ensure all manufactured tools and associated components fit together precisely and maintain strict production tolerances
Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles to ensure lower costs and avoid production delays
Follow a disciplined approach to material selection with respect to material science (e.g. metallurgy and polymer engineering)
Utilize Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software (e.g. Femap) to evaluate the structural integrity and performance of tools that experience heavy static and dynamic loads
Actively participate in the creation, review, and revision control of departmental procedures and process documentation to ensure all materials are accurate, up-to-date, and compliant with company standards
Lead and participate in cross-functional design review meetings with stakeholders to guarantee that all design requirements and standards are being met
Support local and regional design teams by providing technical expertise, resource sharing, and assistance
Provide guidance to fellow engineers regarding design concepts and specification requirements to best utilize equipment and manufacturing techniques
Act as an authority in ensuring the department is in full compliance with all relevant industry regulations, corporate standards, and statutory requirements
Serve as a technical representative and face of the Tool Engineer department, championing the team's capabilities and presenting technical strategies to executive leadership, cross-functional stakeholders, and external partners

Benefits

Relocation assistance may be available
health insurance coverage
life and disability insurance
savings plan
Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
overtime
shift differential
a discretionary bonus
Annual bonuses
Long Term Incentives (for Vice President or Director positions)