Manufacturing Engineering Manager

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START:
No

CLEARANCE TYPE:
Secret

TRAVEL:
Yes, 10% of the Time

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 Space Sector is seeking a Sr. Manufacturing Engineering Manager 3 to join our team in Chandler, AZ
. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.

The Sr. Manufacturing Engineering Manager 3 is a strategic, hands‑on leader responsible for driving operational excellence across launch vehicle production lines through advanced manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, human factors, and manufacturing systems engineering practices. This role leads a team of 5 managers, 60 engineers, and technical specialists to develop, optimise, and sustain safe, efficient, and highly capable manufacturing processes for complex aerospace products (e.g., structures, avionics, cable assemblies).

The ideal candidate brings a strong background in lean manufacturing, production systems design, ergonomic workcell development, and data‑driven decision making, with a proven track record leading cross‑functional teams in a regulated aerospace environment.

• Lead, develop, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of Manufacturing, Industrial, Human Factors, and Systems Engineers.
• Define and execute the manufacturing engineering roadmap aligned with program, operations, quality, and business objectives.
• Champion a culture of safety, continuous improvement, and accountability, leveraging lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Serve as the primary technical and operational interface between Manufacturing Engineering and Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Design Engineering.

• Own manufacturing process definition and deployment for new and existing aerospace products, including build sequences, work instructions, tooling concepts, and process controls.
• Ensure processes are robust, capable, repeatable, and compliant with customer, regulatory, and internal requirements (e.g., AS9100, AS6500 standards as applicable).
• Drive root‑cause and corrective action (RCCA) activities for production issues; implement sustainable corrective actions and process improvements.
• Oversee manufacturing documentation (routing, BOM validation, work instructions, standard work, visual aids) and configuration control.

• Lead value stream analysis, capacity modeling, throughput optimization, and factory flow improvements for complex production lines.
• Develop and maintain production standards (time studies, methods analysis, work measurement, labor standards) and translate them into achievable performance targets.
• Optimize facility layout, equipment utilization, and material flow to reduce cycle time, WIP, and cost while improving on‑time delivery and asset efficiency.
• Establish and monitor KPIs (OEE, first‑pass yield, productivity, scrap/rework, takt attainment) and drive action plans to meet or exceed targets.

• Integrate human factors and ergonomics principles into workstation and tooling design to ensure safe, efficient, and user‑centered operations.
• Conduct ergonomic risk assessments, task analyses, and usability reviews; implement design changes that reduce fatigue, error potential, and injury risk.
• Colla…