Flight Systems Futures Sr Principal Mechanical Engineer (Top Sec with Security Clearance

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START:
Yes CLEARANCE TYPE:
Top Secret TRAVEL:
Yes, 25% 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.

*** This position is contingent upon contract award
*** The Flight Systems Futures operating unit within Strategic Deterrent Systems is seeking highly motivated talent to join a team at the forefront of next-generation hypersonic capabilities. Our team focuses on the design, development, and demonstration of hypersonic re-entry vehicles and advanced payloads, with an emphasis on rapid development and prototyping aligned to specific customer missions. We operate in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment where innovative concepts are matured quickly into credible, testable solutions that address our nation's most demanding strategic deterrence needs.

What You Will Get To Do:
* Define and maintain the overall mechanical layout for the vehicle and major subsystems (structures, TPS hardware, mechanisms, payload, avionics packaging).

* Coordinate mass properties, interfaces, access, and maintainability across the configuration.

* Oversee creation and release of mechanical designs, 3D models, and drawings in collaboration with the design/drafting team.

* Ensure interfaces between subsystems are clearly defined, controlled, and compatible (mechanical, thermal, alignment, envelope).

* Resolve mechanical integration issues between aerothermal, TPS, structures, GNC, propulsion, and avionics.

* Flow down system requirements into clear mechanical requirements, constraints, and design criteria (environments, loads, clearances, margins, materials).

* Work with systems engineering to maintain requirements traceability and define mechanical verification methods (analysis, inspection, test).

* Collaborate with manufacturing and operations to ensure designs are producible, testable, and supportable.

* Support build and integration on the factory floor (build issues, nonconformance disposition, redlines).

* Provide technical direction to mechanical suppliers (requirements, reviews, deviations, acceptance).

* Plan and coordinate mechanical engineering work across a small team (tasking, priorities, schedules).

* Review and approve design work products, ensuring consistency with program standards and best practices.

* Mentor junior engineers and foster strong communication across disciplines and IPTs.

Basic Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related STEM field with

* Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience

* Must be a US Citizen

* Active Top Secret clearance at time of application, current and within scope, renewed or initiated within the last 6 years.

* Must be able to be successfully screened for Enhanced Security Clearances, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs

* 5+ years of relevant structural analysis or design experience

* 3+ years experience performing finite element analysis (FEA) of metallic and/or composite structures using industry tools (e.g., NASTRAN, Abaqus, ANSYS, or similar)

* 3+ years experience generating and checking stress reports, margins of safety, and load paths for primary and secondary structures

* 3+ years experience of classical hand calculations (beam/plate theory, bolted and bonded joints, stability, fatigue/fracture basics) to complement FEA

* 3+ years experience interpreting loads and environments (aero/thermal/pressure/inertial) and applying them appropriately in structural models

* 3+ years experience performing air vehicle dynamic structural assessments (Shock and Vibe)

* 3+ years experience with systems packaging, sizing, and weight tradeoffs and analysis

* 5+ years experience with CAD and pre/post-processing tools (e.g., NX, CATIA, Creo, Hyper Mesh, Femap, or similar)

* Demonstrated ability to document technical work clearly and present results to a cross-functional team (structures, aero, TPS, systems)

* Willing to travel up to 25% of the time

Preferred Qualifications:

* Experience on hypersonic, high-speed, or reentry vehicle programs, or similarly demanding environments (missiles, launch vehicles, spacecraft)

* Experience with:

* Thermal-structural coupling (applying aerothermal/TPS temperatures in…