Principal CAD CAM Engineer​/Senior Principal CAD CAM Engineer

Relocation Assistance

No relocation assistance available.

Clearance required at start:
Secret. Position contingent on obtaining/maintaining an active U.S. Government Secret clearance.

Travel required:

Yes, approximately 10% of the time.

Principal/Senior Principal Board Designer at Northrop Grumman, based in Baltimore, MD (hybrid). Core member of eCAD team responsible for high-quality PCB layouts for defense‑grade products. Collaborate with schematic designers, hardware engineers, mechanical designers, and manufacturing team to translate concepts into production‑ready board designs.

• Develop complete PCB layouts from component placement to routing, including multi‑layer design that meets signal integrity, power distribution, and EMC requirements.
• Perform design rule checks (DRC) and sign‑off: run automated DRC, signal integrity simulations, and thermal analyses; resolve violations and document compliance.
• Collaborate on cross‑functional design reviews: present designs to electrical, mechanical, and reliability teams; incorporate feedback and drive design closure.
• Support DFM/DFA initiatives: work with PCB fabricators and assemblers to optimize stack‑up, trace widths, via strategies, and test point placement for cost‑effective manufacturing.
• Generate production documentation: produce TGZ, drill files; ensure data integrity in the PLM system.
• Mentor junior designers: provide guidance on best practices, standards, tool usage; lead short technical workshops within the eCAD group.
• Stay current with industry trends: evaluate emerging PCB technologies (high speed, flex‑rigid, HDI) and recommend tooling or workflow improvements.

• Education and experience:
• Principal Board Designer:
  Bachelor’s degree + 5 years experience;
  Master’s + 3 years;
  Ph.D. + 1 year; or equivalent experience.
• Senior Principal Board Designer:
  Bachelor’s degree + 8 years experience;
  Master’s + 6 years;
  Ph.D. + 4 years; or equivalent experience.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Minimum 5 years hands‑on PCB layout experience in high‑volume or high‑complexity environment (digital, mixed signal, or RF).
• Minimum 3 years experience with Mentor Graphics (advanced routing & stack‑up configuration); alternate routing software considered.
• Minimum 3 years working knowledge of IPC 2221, IPC 6012 & 13, IPC 7351, and GD&T for PCB design.

• Expert working knowledge of Mentor Xpedition suite.
• Experience with high‑speed digital design (≥5
  
  Gbps) or RF/microwave PCB design.
• Experience with high‑density interconnect (HDI) and/or array designs.
• Experience with power PCB design.
• Familiarity with 3‑D mechanical integration tools (Solid Works, NX, Enovia).
• Working knowledge of ASME‑Y14.5 standard.
• Demonstrated success in collaborative, fast‑paced development teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting technical concepts to cross‑functional teams.

• Health plan, savings plan, paid time off.
• Education assistance, training and development.
• 9/80 work schedule (where available).
• Additional benefits such as bonus, overtime, shift differential, discretionary bonus, long‑term incentives for higher levels.

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. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit

Estimated application period: 20 days from posting date, subject to change.