Principal Propulsion Engineer - Elkton MD

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 109,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Northrop Grumman in Elkton, Maryland seeks an experienced Principal Propulsion Engineer to lead solid‑propellant propulsion design within the High‑Speed Tactical Boosters group. You will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, drive design decisions from requirements to verification, and produce fabrication drawings for mission‑critical components.

The role requires a STEM degree and 5+ years of experience, with DoD Secret clearance eligibility.

Qualifications

• Must have a bachelor’s degree in STEM and 5+ years of experience; higher degrees reduce experience needs.
• US citizen with ability to obtain DoD Secret Clearance.
• Experience in propulsion design and multidisciplinary teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to meet program milestones and customer expectations.
• Work directly with customers to understand requirements and design drivers.
• Coordinate a multi-disciplinary strategy for design, optimization, and analysis.
• Design SRM assemblies/components with focus on safety and program requirements.
• Perform high-level performance and sizing calculations on SRM components.
• Apply engineering standards to develop solid-propellant propulsion systems.
• Produce detailed drawings for component fabrication.
• Assist with SRM builds, test execution, and data reduction.
• Support testing activities needed to validate designs.

Skills

Rocketry

Solid Rocket Motors

Aerospace Propulsion Systems

Missiles

Flight Vehicles

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

CAD

PLM

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

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.

Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems and Controls (PS&C) facility in Elkton, Maryland began solid-propellant rocket motor (SRM) 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

Northrop Grumman is in need of an experienced Principal Propulsion Engineer to work at its Elkton, Maryland facility. The position will be hired into as a Principal Engineer level 3 into the High-Speed Tactical Boosters (HSTB) group working on solid rocket motors.

Job Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to meet program milestones and customer expectations, with the opportunity to step in to leadership roles and guide the program team
• Work directly with customers to understand requirements and design drivers
• Coordinate a multi‑disciplinary strategy for design, optimization, and analysis to meet mission requirements
• Design SRM assemblies / components (such as cases, nozzles, and propellant grains) with a focus on safety and program requirements
• Complete high‑level performance and sizing calculations on SRM components and assemblies
• Apply engineering principles, industry and company standards, and customer requirements to develop solid‑propellant propulsion systems for launch vehicles, missile systems, and/or space missions
• Produce detailed drawings for component fabrication
• Assist with SRM builds, test execution, and data reduction
• Support testing activities needed to validate designs

Basic Requirements:

• Must have a bachelors degree in STEM and at least 5 years of experience. Will consider those with a Masters degree and 3 years of experience or a PhD and 1 year of experience.
• Must be a US citizen.
• Must be able to obtain a DoD Secret Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with:
• Rocketry, Solid Rocket Motors, Aerospace Propulsion Systems, Missiles, Flight Vehicles, and/or Energetics
• Siemens NX and Teamcenter, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
• Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or Aeronautical Engineering
• Engineering Design Principles
• Multi-disciplinary Teamwork
• Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), ASME Y14.5-2009, Design for Assembly / Manufacturing (DFA/DFM)
• Microsoft Office Suite of products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.)
• Active DoD Secret Clearance

This position falls under a Federal Explosives License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for this location. Candidates hired into this role will be required to complete and submit an Employee Possessor Questionnaire to ATF for approval to be a possessor.

Primary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $163,200.00

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 re