RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
CLEARANCE TYPE: 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.
Northrop Grumman is currently seeking a Principal Propulsion Engineer or Sr. Principal Propulsion Engineer to join our team at our Elkton, Maryland location to support the Propulsion Systems and Controls (PS&C) business unit.
Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems and Controls (PS&C) facility in Elkton, Maryland began solid‑propellant rocket operations in 1948. Today, the Elkton PS&C facility designs, develops, and produces solid‑propellant propulsion, ordnance and motion controls systems in programs professionally managed for a wide variety of Government and commercial customers. The facility also serves as the hub for offsite engineering and test facilities in Ronkonkoma, NY and Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Elkton, Maryland is located on the Upper Chesapeake Bay, midway between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Discover charming small towns, parks with miles of trails, specialty and antique shops, award‑winning restaurants, and inns. You can hike, bike, camp, bird watch, ride horseback, or drop a fishing line. Five rivers, Chesapeake Bay and the C&D Canal can be explored by boat or by land. Experience panoramic views from Turkey Point Lighthouse on a bluff overlooking the Bay, or from the banks of the C&D Canal where ships from around the globe cruise. https://www.ccgov.org/government/tourism
Overview
We are seeking a Principal or Sr. Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead detailed design and development of actuation and motion control hardware within our Propulsion Systems & Control (PS&C) business unit. This role sits on the Motion Controls team, which develops high‑reliability, high‑capability systems such as:
- Rocket motor nozzle vectoring mechanisms and controls
- Flight surface actuators
- Cold and hot gas valve / thruster actuation
- Other critical motion control systems for space and defense applications
You will be the mechanical design lead or a key member of the design team – using CAD, analysis, standard work, and a fair amount of ingenuity to create robust, producible actuation hardware that meets demanding performance, cost, and schedule requirements. This role has a strong emphasis on electric motor and gearbox integration, thermal performance, and close collaboration with electrical engineering.
Key Responsibilities
Mechanical Design & Analysis (Primary)
- Own the mechanical design of actuators, mechanisms, and motion control hardware from concept through detailed design, release, and test.
- Develop, iterate, and maintain 3D CAD models and drawings (Siemens NX), including GD&T, materials selection, and manufacturing details.
- Perform or lead mechanical analyses (stress, kinematics, thermal, life/fatigue, margins) and document assumptions, methods, and results clearly.
- Analyze and size mechanical components based on motor torque/speed curves, gearbox ratios, duty cycles, and thermal limits to ensure adequate margin and reliability.
- Use test data and analysis to refine designs for motor mounting, gear trains, bearings, thermal paths, and structural interfaces.
- Apply and improve standard work and design guidelines to drive effective, repeatable, and manufacturable designs while still solving novel problems with engineering judgment and creativity.
- Support prototype builds, development testing, and qualification testing, and drive design closure based on measured performance.
Integration with Electrical, Systems, Motors, and Gearboxes
- Work closely with electrical engineers to ensure MCAD/ECAD integration is correct – connector placement, clearances, harness routing, boards in housings, stack‑ups, and thermal/EMI constraints.
- Collaborate with motor and controls engineers to define motor/gearbox requirements and ensure that mechanical designs support electrical performance, control bandwidth, and environmental requirements.
- Review system‑level requirements and work through them with systems engineers; help decompose them into clear mechanical requirements and verification plans.
- Coordinate modeling details and configuration across mechanical, electrical, and systems models to keep the overall design coherent.
- Understand and consider electric motor and gearbox design and behavior (torque, speed, thermal performance, duty cycles, efficiencies, margins) when defining mechanical interfaces and sizing components.
Failure Analysis, Non‑Conformances, and RCCA
- Lead or support component‑level failure analyses, FMEA, and FMECA for mechanical and electromechanical hardware.
- Drive root‑cause and corrective action (RCCA) activities when issues arise in test, production, or field use, including data gathering, hypothesis testing, and corrective/preventive actions.
- Work non‑conformances through to closure: evaluate impact, define dispositions, update drawings/requirements, and feed lessons learned back into standard work.
Execution, Risk, and Quality (Mechanical Scope)
- Develop scope, objectives, and deliverables for mechanical work packages in collaboration with the project engineer and broader team.
- Track progress for your mechanical scope against schedule, budget, and technical milestones; raise issues early and propose technical options.
- Identify and manage technical risks related to mechanical design (including motor/gearbox integration and thermal performance); maintain risk entries and contingency plans for your hardware.
- Ensure quality standards are met via design reviews, peer reviews, appropriate test coverage, and disciplined configuration management.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Coordinate with procurement, suppliers, and manufacturing engineers to ensure hardware and materials are specified correctly, manufacturable, and delivered on time.
- Support build, integration, and test activities, providing on‑the‑floor guidance when needed to resolve mechanical issues quickly.
- Recommend improvements to design practices, tools, and processes to increase reliability, cycle time, and team effectiveness.
Basic Qualifications – Principal Mechanical Engineer (Level 3)
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and 5+ years of relevant experience; OR
- Master’s degree in Engineering and 3+ years of relevant experience; OR
- PhD in Engineering and 1+ year of relevant experience
- Ability to obtain a Secret Clearance (U.S. Citizenship required)
- Ability and willingness to travel as required (10–25%)
Basic Qualifications – Sr. Principal Mechanical Engineer (Level 4)
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and 8+ years of relevant experience; OR
- Master’s degree in Engineering and 6+ years of relevant experience; OR
- PhD in Engineering and 4+ years of relevant experience
- Ability to obtain a Secret Clearance (U.S. Citizenship required)
- Ability and willingness to travel as required (10–25%)
(Level will be based on experience, education, and demonstrated competency.)
Preferred Qualifications (Both Levels)
- Demonstrated leadership of mechanical design for complex electro‑mechanical systems (actuators, mechanisms, motion control hardware).
- Strong experience with mechanical analysis (hand calculations and tools) for structural, kinematic, thermal, and life/fatigue problems.
- Experience integrating mechanical designs with ECAD – boards, harnesses, connectors, sensors – in constrained, high‑reliability environments.
- Experience collaborating closely with systems engineering to interpret and flow down requirements and to plan verification.
- Deep familiarity with electric motor and gearbox design and application (sizing, torque/speed behavior, thermal limits, duty cycles, efficiencies) in motion‑control systems.
- Active Secret (or higher) Security Clearance.
- Proficiency with Siemens NX and Siemens Teamcenter Unified Architecture for CAD and configuration management.
- Experience with structured failure analysis and risk management techniques (e.g., FMECA, risk registers, RCCA).
- Experience supporting CAMs and project leads with credible technical inputs on scope, schedule, and estimate‑to‑complete for mechanical tasks.
Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $123,400.00 - $185,000.00
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.
Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.