Principal Engineer Manufacturing

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Baltimore
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time Description 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's Manufacturing Operations Engineering organization is seeking a Principal Manufacturing Process Engineer for the Advanced Ceramics Facility (ACF) manufacturing cell. ACF utilizes flexibility and creativity in order to develop, manufacture and deliver leading-edge discriminating products, while incorporating the latest materials, technology and processing to meet or exceed customer expectations. The Principal Manufacturing Process Engineer will provide manufacturing technical support and direction to fabricate ceramic substrates for next generation RF hardware. This position will be responsible for supporting multiple processes in ACF. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the tasks outlined below: Solving of manufacturing problems related to materials, designs, equipment, people in a timely manner to support production Developing new and maintaining existing manufacturing processes with a focus on affordability, sustainability and quality Developing and optimizing process parameters Developing and revising process documentation and work instruction Creating, validating, and maintaining automatic equipment programs Monitoring process yields, cost, and process stability and capability Supporting the creation and implementation of improvement plans based on the above metrics Developing ROI justification for process improvements Assisting with the training of new personnel and participating in the design of operator training materials Supporting factory maintenance personnel with the troubleshooting and repair of process equipment Leading/facilitating Root Cause & Corrective Action investigations and driving to closure Supporting capital equipment projects through procurement, installation and release for production use Supporting engineering data analysis including metrology data, ERP (SAP) data, and other in-process metrics The chosen candidate must have excellent verbal and written communication skills; be able to multi-task in a fast-paced, dynamic, and high visibility environment; and work well as part of a team. Basic Qualifications for a Principal Manufacturing Engineer 3: Bachelor of Science degree or higher in Engineering or related STEM area and 5 years of relevant professional experience (or 3 years with an MS; 0 years with a PhD) Manufacturing/Process Engineering experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment Familiarity with Design of Experiment (DOE), Statistical Process Control (SPC), 6 sigma concepts for process development and control Fluency in MS Office software applications Familiarity with ERP systems; SAP preferred US Citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Ceramics or materials fabrication manufacturing experience Knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) Experience with Matlab, VBA and/or similar Experience with CAD software (AutoCAD, NX or similar) Experience with Minitab software Experience with SAP MRP software Experience with the Teamcenter Manufacturing software tool suite and Manufacturing Process Planning Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00 The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business. The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Chantilly , Principal Engineer Manufacturing, Engineering , Baltimore, Virginia