Principal Propulsion Engineer - 3

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 98,000 - 148,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Paid holidays & PTO

Job summary

Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to join as a Principal Research Scientist - Level 3 in Promontory, UT. You will define the art of the possible, lead propellant process development, and collaborate with engineering, operations, and leadership to solve high-impact problems.

A proactive, detail-oriented mindset and cross-functional partnership are essential. You will work on propellant manufacturing processes, contribute to tooling and process improvements, and communicate findings

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related STEM field with 5+ years of experience.
• Master's degree with 3+ years, or PhD with 1+ year experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance.
• Demonstrated knowledge of laboratory testing techniques and experience conducting experiments.

Responsibilities

• Support propellant casting campaigns while ensuring safety, quality, and performance standards.
• Author and maintain specifications and related engineering documentation.
• Perform data collection, analysis, and interpretation using Excel, VBA, and Python.
• Support root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to improve propellant manufacturing processes.
• Troubleshoot processing, tooling, and facilities challenges and implement solutions.
• Participate in design, checkout, qualification, and implementation of new or modified tooling and processes.
• Create technical reports and presentations for leadership and internal teams.

Skills

Excel

VBA

Python

Lab techniques

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree

PhD

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No CLEARANCE TYPE: None TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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. Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations.

Northrop Grumman's Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a Principal Research Scientist - Level 3 located in Promontory, UT, you'll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Principal Propellant Materials and Process Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for supporting all aspects of propellant process development and manufacturing, including assisting propellant casting campaigns, writing and maintaining specifications, and performing data analysis to ensure process excellence. This position requires a proactive approach, strong time management skills, and a collaborative mindset, as you will work cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and leadership teams to solve challenging problems and drive continuous improvement. This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Support propellant casting campaigns, ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and performance standards.
• Author and maintain specifications, shop floor planning, and related engineering documentation.
• Perform data collection, analysis, and interpretation using tools such as Excel, VBA, or Python to identify trends and improve understanding of process behavior.
• Support root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions to address manufacturing defects.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to develop and continuously improve propellant manufacturing processes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve challenges related to processing, tooling, and facilities, and implement effective solutions.
• Participate in the design, checkout, qualification, and implementation of new or modified tooling, equipment, and processes.
• Create technical reports and presentations to communicate findings and proposals to leadership, customers, and internal teams.
• Perform tabletop reviews with manufacturing operations teams to validate process plans and outcomes.

Why you?

You’re the candidate we’re searching for if you are ready to achieve the impossible alongside like-minded innovators.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or other related (STEM) field with 5 years of professional experience - OR - Master's degree with 3 years of professional experience - OR - PhD with 1 years of professional experience.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance.
• Demonstrated knowledge of laboratory testing techniques and experience conducting experiments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Exposure to writing and updating shop floor plans or production documentation.
• Knowledge of process validation and qualification practices.
• Experience conducting process troubleshooting and implementing process improvements.

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.

Northrop Grumman Total Rewards Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00 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.

We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space - our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future.

Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.