Principal Quality Engineer

Principal Quality Engineer – Annapolis, MD

Relocation assistance: None

Clearance required for start: No

Clearance type: None

Travel: 10% of the time

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is currently seeking a Principal Quality Engineer to join our team in Annapolis, MD. This role will ensure that quality is maintained across secure, integrated, and multi-domain systems that support strategic missions in a rapidly changing security environment.

• Develop, modify, apply, and maintain quality evaluation, 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, perform statistical analyses, and determine 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 continuous process improvement.
• Identify and remove barriers to quality improvement through root‑cause analysis and corrective‑action planning.
• Review contracts/SOWs/drawings to evaluate, interpret and apply company policies, ISO 9000, AS9102, MIL, IPC, and other applicable standards.
• Interface with production‑floor roles and communicate clearly with all stakeholders.
• Define, classify, and control quality characteristics for products, processes, and services; develop and validate control plans and work‑instruction updates.
• Manage nonconformances across the facility; lead cross‑functional containments to ensure product compliance.
• Create, use, and interpret quality‑control tools (flowcharts, Pareto, control charts) and construct/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 with 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 apply to product or process quality.

• Bachelor of Science Degree in a STEM field with a minimum of 5 years of engineering experience in Quality Assurance, or equivalent with a Master’s or PhD degree and fewer years of experience as specified.
• Experience with Data Analytics and Statistical Analysis methods and techniques.
• Experience mentoring employees.
• Experience with electrical or mechanical design requirements and specifications.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret Clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship required.

• Experience in at least one of the following standards: IPC, J-Std, MIL-STD.
• Experience with ISO
  9001 or AS9100 Quality Management System and AS9102 First Article Inspections.
• Experience facilitating RCCAs with technical groups.
• SAP Experience.
• Experience leading cross‑functional teams to resolve problems or issues.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, Minitab or equivalent tools for statistical analysis.
• Experience with FMEAs, CARs, and audit processes.
• Experience with Earned Value Management.
• Experience in support of proposals and quoting of Quality hours in bids.
• Experience with Material Review Board (MRB) process.
• Experience with dispositioning hardware for quality related issues in a manufacturing facility.

• Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 – $, based on scope, responsibilities, and candidate experience.
• Eligible for overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus where applicable. Annual bonuses reward individual contributions.
• Health, life, and disability insurance; retirement savings plan; paid holidays and paid time off.
• U.S. Citizenship required for all positions with a government clearance.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For a complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit