Principal Engineer Quality

About the role

• RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
• CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
• CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
• TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

About the role

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.

We are seeking a detail-oriented Principal Quality Engineer to join our dynamic team.  This position will be in Palmdale, CA.  In this role, you will monitor mission assurance program specifications and processes to ensure the program's mission success.  You will ensure the quality, risk management, safety, reliability, and maintainability of program achievements, subcontractors, and suppliers.  You will collaborate closely with the Mission Assurance team to drive continuous improvement initiatives and ensure compliance with contractual requirements.

Our team is exceptionally detail oriented. We work on sophisticated projects in the aerospace industry, producing high-quality work. Each team member has individual assignments, but we work as a united team to identify and resolve potential issues before product timelines are impacted.   Our team pursues inclusivity, diversity, and balance in both workload and work-life. We feel strongly about treating each other with respect and working with integrity.

Responsibilities include

• The candidate should possess strong technical problem solving, written and verbal communication skills, perform technical assessments, and participate in CCB (Change Control Board) and data review activities.
• The candidate is expected to regularly interface with operations, program management, engineering staff, and external customers.
• Responsible for failure investigations, Customer/DCMA CARs, escapements, and data analytics to drive corrective actions.  Communicate with customers, in the required time frame, on investigations and actions for each complaint/escapement.
• Responsible for oversight of technical, in-depth quality requirements for the program, ensuring that contract requirements are met, and documentation is compliant with requirements
• Lead Material Review Board submittals.  Ensuring compliance with customer specifications/requirements in concurrence with the Chief Process Engineers.
• Review of First Article Inspections, and present First Articles to the customer representative.
• Technical reviews of drawings, SOW’s, Requirements, and documents as required
• Provides qualified Mission Assurance engineering support to all Program organizations (e.g., Operations, Production Control, Design Engineering, etc.) with daily interactions, as required
• Leads and collaborates with cross-functional teams to ensure quality standards are developed and maintained
• Primary contact for quality and safety matters for the Government and DCMA representatives
• Working knowledge of Material Review Board (MRB) standards, practices, and Customer engagement
• Develop, analyze, and present metrics to customers and program leadership
• Guide Mission Assurance processes and requirements integration with engineering activities to varying levels of management and customers.

Basic Qualifications

• Principal Quality Engineer (T03): Bachelor's Degree (STEM) with 5 years of experience OR a Master's Degree (STEM) with 3 years of years of experience.
• Experience with quality management systems to support program processes, audits, and/or improvements.
• Knowledge of Root Cause and Corrective Action methods
• Knowledge of Inspection Plans and First Article Inspections
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines with attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills – Clear, concise reporting to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Experience with M.S. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience with fast‑paced program environments where schedule volatility is common.
• Dynamic work‑hour flexibility – Proven ability to adjust schedule on short notice, including rotating shifts, evening/weekend coverage, and overtime, to meet critical program milestones and production demands.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret Clearance as well as Program Special access within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
• Work schedule: Shift: 4/10A, hours: 6am-4:30pm. Additionally, work schedules and hours can vary based on business needs. Must be willing to work any shift.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Quality Management Systems (AS9100, ISO 9001, or Military Quality Assurance)
• Quality Engineering and/or Mission Assurance work experience.
• Technical reviews of drawings, Statement of Work, and requirements traceability documents.
• Experience in processing, monitoring, data collection, analysis, and metric reporting for the overall program and segments
• Experience with manufacturing, quality controls, inspection, and/or non-conformance controls.
• Prior aircraft manufacturing experience
• Experience conducting First Article Inspections and completing DD 250

Primary Level Salary Range

$103,600.00 - $155,400.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.