Staff Engineer Tool

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START:
Yes

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 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  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.

Job Duties 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…