Principal Quality Engineer

Northrop Grumman Corp.; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 99,000 - 148,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Paid holidays

PTO (vacation)

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Annapolis, MD is seeking a Principal Quality Engineer to develop and maintain quality systems for materials processing and finished products. You will partner with engineering and manufacturing to uphold quality standards and drive continuous improvement through audits, analyses, and root-cause actions.

Responsibilities include reviewing drawings against standards (ISO 9000, AS9102, MIL, IPC), defining control plans, and leading cross-functional containment of

Qualifications

• BS in STEM with 5+ years in QA or MS with 3+ years or PhD with 1+ year.
• Experience with data analytics and statistical methods.
• Experience with electrical or mechanical design requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, apply, and maintain quality evaluation, control systems, and protocols for processing materials into semi-finished or finished products.
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing to establish and uphold quality standards.
• Design, analyze, and implement inspection and testing processes and equipment; conduct QA tests and apply statistical analyses.
• Audit quality systems, identify deficiencies, and drive corrective actions to meet reliability and documentation requirements.
• Review contracts/SOWs/drawings to evaluate standards (ISO 9000, AS9102, MIL, IPC) and apply to designs and processes.
• Define and control quality characteristics; develop control plans and work-instruction updates.
• Manage nonconformances; lead cross-functional containment to ensure product compliance.

Skills

Quality Assurance

Data Analytics

Statistical Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

Audits

Cross-functional Teams

Education

Bachelor of Science in STEM

Master's Degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

SAP

Excel

Minitab

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: NoCLEARANCE TYPE: NoneTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescriptionAt 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.At the heart of Defining Possible is our commitment to missions. In rapidly changing global security environments, Northrop Grumman brings informed insights and software-secure technology to enable strategic planning. We are looking for innovators who can help us keep building on our wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies that fuel those missions. By joining in our shared mission, we ’II support yours of expanding your personal network and developing skills, whether you are new to the field, or an industry thought leader. At Northrop Grumman, you ’II have the resources, support, and team to do some of the best work of your career.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is currently seeking a Principal Quality Engineer to join our team in Annapolis, MD.What You'll Get to DoDevelop, modify, apply, and maintain quality evaluation, control systems, and protocols for processing materials into semi-finished or finished products.Partner with engineering and manufacturing to establish and uphold quality standards.Design, analyze, and implement inspection and testing processes and equipment; conduct quality assurance tests, perform statistical analyses to determine cost and responsibility for non-conforming parts.Audit quality systems, identify deficiencies, and drive corrective actions that meet reliability and documentation requirements; plan, conduct, report, and follow‑up on audits to ensure compliance and continual process improvement.Identify and remove barriers to quality improvement through root‑cause analysis and corrective‑action planning.Review contracts/SOWs/drawings to evaluate, interpret and apply company policies, ISO 9000, AS9102, MIL, IPC, and other standards applicable to designs and processes.Interface with production‑floor roles (inspection, assembly, operations) and communicate clearly with all stakeholders.Define, classify, and control quality characteristics for products, processes, and services; develop and validate control plans and work‑instruction updates.Manage nonconformances across the facility; lead cross‑functional containments to ensure product compliance.Create, use and interpret quality‑control tools (flowcharts, Pareto, control charts) and construct/interpret FMEAs.Interpret technical drawings and specifications, including GD&T symbols, to verify compliance with design requirementsApply benchmarking techniques to drive system‑wide quality improvements.Facilitate team collaboration with brainstorming, conflict‑resolution, and other facilitation tools.Specialize as needed in design, incoming material, production control, product evaluation, reliability, inventory control, or R&D as they apply to product or process quality.Basic QualificationsBachelor of Science Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field with a minimum of 5 years of engineering experience in Quality Assurance, which can include investigating failures and identifying root causes or in Manufacturing, Process, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering field of work, performing technical job functions; OR a minimum of 3 years of engineering experience in Quality Assurance, which can include investigating failures and identifying root causes or in Manufacturing, Process, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering field of work performing technical job functions with a Masters Degree in a STEM field OR a minimum of 1 year of engineering experience in Quality Assurance, which can include investigating failures and identifying root causes or in Manufacturing, Process, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering field of work, performing technical job functions with a PhD Degree in a STEM fieldExperience with Data Analytics and Statistical Analysis methods and techniquesExperience with electrical or mechanical design requirements and specificationsAbility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret ClearanceUS Citizenship requiredPreferred QualificationsExperience in at least one of the following standards (IPC, J-Std, MIL-STD)Experience with ISO9001 or AS9100 Quality Management System and AS9102 First Article Inspections (FAI)Experience Facilitating RCCAs with technical groupsSAP ExperienceExperience leading cross-functional teams to resolve problems or issuesExperience using Microsoft Excel, Minitab or equivalent tools for statistical analysisExperience with FMEAs, CARs, and audit processesExperience with Earned Value ManagementExperience in support of proposals and quoting of Quality hours in bidsExperience with Material Review Board (MRB) processExperience with dispositioning hardware for quality related issues in a manufacturing facilityPrimary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00The 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.