Principal or Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer Job Waynesboro area,Virginia USA,Engineering

Principal Manufacturing Engineer or Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer

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.

At the heart of who we are, Northrop Grumman is a leading American manufacturing company delivering advanced technologies in support of national security. Our manufacturing operations in Waynesboro, Virginia support production of advanced electronics, radar, and communication systems within our broader portfolio of defense capabilities. Our teams work collaboratively to ensure manufacturing excellence, production readiness, and continuous improvement across programs.

We are looking for you to join our team as a Principal Manufacturing Engineer or a Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer to support production and manufacturing operations at our Central Virginia manufacturing facilities.

As a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer you will design, implement, and improve work instruction and manufacturing operations in our Assembly cells, engaging digital tools to streamline operations and manufacturing sequences. You will collaborate with peers, assemblers, and technicians to ensure operational readiness.

Knowledge of equipment functionality and capability are paramount as you support metric driven decisions on operations and maintenance KPI's. You will support day-to-day production while developing and implementing process improvements and supporting equipment troubleshooting and maintenance activities.

Key responsibilities include:

Support manufacturing by developing processes and methodologies with a focus on safety, yields, cost, and process stability and capability.
Provide ROI justification for process improvements and equipment purchases.
Develop and implement shop floor digital solutions for PM and Operations.
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders when troubleshooting and developing failure mode corrective actions.
Develop digital work instructions for manufacturing and maintenance tasks.

We are looking for candidates who thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, possess excellent communication skills, and have a passion for innovation and teamwork.

This position is contingent upon proposal/task award.

This requisition may be filled as a Principal Manufacturing Engineer or a Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer based on the qualifications below.

Basic Qualifications for the Principal Manufacturing Engineer:

Bachelor's degree or higher in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in manufacturing or production. Candidates with a Master's degree only require a minimum of 3 years of experience in manufacturing or production.
Experience developing digital work instruction for complete processes or assemblies
Experience in MS Office software applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.)
Ability to obtain and maintain a US Secret level security clearance
US Citizenship is required.

Basic Qualifications for the Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer:

Bachelor's degree or higher in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in manufacturing or production. Candidates with a Master's degree only require a minimum of 6 years of experience in manufacturing or production.
Experience developing digital work instruction for complete processes or assemblies
Experience in MS Office software applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.)
Ability to obtain and maintain a US Secret level security clearance
US Citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or automation engineering
Active Secret clearance
Experience with antenna and electronic warfare assemblies
DFM/DFA experience
Experience with equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
Experience in automation systems and experience in production environments
CAD modeling experience
Experience with PLCs and automation solutions
Six Sigma certification and proficiency in applied statistics
Demonstrated experience using artificial intelligence to accelerate effective process development

Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment which encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Northrop Grumman benefits give you the…