Sr Principal Engineer Product

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
No relocation assistance 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.

The Continuous Improvement (CI) and Digital Transformation (DT) Lead will provide leadership to our manufacturing team at our San Diego, CA location. This role will serve as a key liaison between factory operations, engineering, quality, and program leadership to drive digitally enabled performance improvements across cost, quality, and schedule. The successful candidate will champion lean‑agile practices, develop and execute manufacturing technology roadmaps, and translate strategic objectives into actionable improvement plans and measurable results supporting manufacturing.

As the Site Continuous Improvement (CI) Lead, this role will also build CI capability, influence culture, and positively impact business metrics through structured problem solving, coaching, and change management.

What You’ll be able to do:

• Serve as the site CI subject matter expert (SME) on continuous improvement tools and methodologies, including lean, Six Sigma, and advanced problem‑solving techniques.
• Understand, maintain, and deploy the right CI tools (e.g., manufacturing playbook, CI toolbox), engaging additional SMEs as needed to coach teams on proper use of the tools.
• Act as a hands‑on CI practitioner to identify the most impactful issues across the value stream and lead the implementation of effective process improvements.
• Lead digital transformation initiatives (e.g., production dashboards, data pipelines, MES/ERP integration, advanced analytics) that improve real‑time visibility and decision‑making for factory performance.
• Develop and execute CI and digital transformation training to improve site skill proficiency, introducing others to CI processes and tools, answering questions, sharing examples, and serving as an active coach.
• Continuously update CI skill needs for the site, including lean‑agile and digital skills such as Robotics Process Automation, business intelligence, digital transformation, and data analytics.
• Facilitate value stream mapping, kaizen events, and problem‑solving workshops to engage cross‑functional teams and frontline employees in identifying waste and implementing sustainable solutions.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for cost, quality, and schedule; focus on value and quantify the benefits of process improvements wherever possible.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing technology and automation roadmaps, coordinating with enterprise and sector teams to evaluate, pilot, and scale new technologies.
• Lead integration of automation and connected systems across PLCs, MES, SCADA, and plant‑floor IoT infrastructure to enable digital twin capabilities, advanced robotics, and automated controls.
• Partner with IT and business process owners to design and deploy process automation solutions (e.g., workflow automation) that streamline repetitive tasks,…