Chief Engineer - Propulsion Tanks - Level 5

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman in Commerce, CA seeks a Chief Engineer - Propulsion Tanks - Level 5 to own the Propulsion Tank Product Line end-to-end, guiding design, development, integration, test and production support.

You will be the primary technical interface to customers and site leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM with relevant aerospace propulsion experience.
• Experience in propulsion tank design and manufacturing (e.g., pressure vessels, PMDs, COPVs, diaphragm tanks).
• Deep technical proficiency in metallurgy and materials (including titanium and high performance alloys).
• Experience with GD&T, precision machining, and production tooling for complex hardware.
• Demonstrated experience with additive manufacturing or other advanced manufacturing methods for structural/pressure vessel hardware, and the ability to incorporate these into technical and technology roadmap decisions.
• Demonstrated success leading RCCA/non-conformance resolution and closing persistent technical issues that impact cost, schedule, and performance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Chief Engineer for the Commerce Propulsion Tank Product Line, owning the technical baseline and guiding design, development, integration, test, and production support.
• Act as the primary technical interface to customers, Commerce site leadership, and key functional and business partners.
• Lead root cause and corrective action (RCCA) and non-conformance resolution, driving closure of complex technical issues that impact performance, yield, and schedule.
• Apply deep expertise in metallurgy and materials, GD&T, precision machining, and production tooling to improve producibility and manufacturing robustness.
• Partner closely with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Tooling, and Quality to address manufacturability, variability, and cost drivers.
• Build and mentor a high performing engineering team in a small, growing organization: coach engineers, set clear technical standards, and raise the level of technical rigor.

Skills

Leadership

RCCA

GD&T

Metallurgy

Materials

Additive manufacturing

Cross-functional

Customer interface

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Tools

3D CAD

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

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's Space Sector is seeking a Chief Engineer - Propulsion Tanks - Level 5 to join our team in Commerce, CA.

This is a highly visible, hands- on role for a technical leader who wants to own a product line end- to- end -stabilizing performance, lifting team capability, and shaping the technology roadmap. You will have direct influence with customers, site leadership, and business leadership across the company, working on hardware that directly affects mission success.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned technical leader with deep propulsion tank experience, strong metallurgy and manufacturing expertise , and a proven track record of building teams, navigating challenges, and positively influencing culture in demanding environments. We value diverse perspectives and inclusive leadership, and we're looking for a chief engineer who can bring out the best in a broad range of engineers and partners.

What You'll Get to Do

• Serve as Chief Engineer for the Commerce Propulsion Tank Product Line , owning the technical baseline and guiding design, development, integration, test, and production support.
• Act as the primary technical interface to customers, Commerce site leadership, and key functional and business partners.
• Lead root cause and corrective action (RCCA) and non conformance resolution, driving closure of complex technical issues that impact performance, yield, and schedule.
• Apply deep expertise in metallurgy and materials , GD&T , precision machining , and production tooling to improve producibility and manufacturing robustness.
• Partner closely with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Tooling, and Quality to address manufacturability, variability, and cost drivers.
• Build and mentor a high performing engineering team in a small, growing organization: coach engineers, set clear technical standards, and raise the level of technical rigor.
• Take on a high impact build and transform charter : strengthen a small team, improve technical discipline, and help shape the culture of the Commerce propulsion tank organization.
• Champion a positive, inclusive cu lture by modeling Northrop Grumman's leadership behaviors: setting a vision, taking ownership, leading with courage, responding with resilience, and acting with speed.
• Maintain strong awareness of the propulsion tank market and architectures , including PMD designs, COPV tanks, diaphragm tanks, and titanium forging constraints.
• Support new business and proposals with technical strategy, risk assessment, and requirements compliance, clearly articulating our technical value to customers.
• Lead development of technical roadmaps , including evaluating emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing and defining transitions away from forging constrained approaches to meet higher demand under tighter timelines.
• Work closely with site leadership, Operating Unit and Business Unit leaders, and enterprise functional leadership, providing a strong platform for future technical and organizational leadership opportunities.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) field with 1 2 years of technical experience in aerospace, space, or closely related propulsion/pressure vessel domains.
• Experience in propulsion tank design and manufacturing (e.g., pressure vessels, PMDs, COPVs, diaphragm tanks).
• Deep technical proficiency in metallurgy and materials (including titanium and high performance alloys).
• Experience with GD&T, precision machining, and production tooling for complex hardware.
• Demonstrated experience with additive manufacturing or other advanced manufacturing methods for structural/pressure vessel hardware, and the ability to incorporate these into technical and technology roadmap decisions.
• Demonstrated success leading RCCA/non-conformance resolution and closing persistent technical issues that impact cost, schedule, and performance.
• Experience leading and influencing cross-functional technical teams and effectively interfacing with customers and s