Principal/Sr. Principal Engineer Quality

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Baltimore, MD is seeking a Quality Engineer on-site to develop, implement, and maintain quality systems and processes for complex defense programs.

You will partner with engineering and manufacturing, conduct audits, apply statistical methods, review contracts and drawings, and drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience with Data Analytics and Statistical Analysis methods and techniques.
• Experience mentoring employees.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance.
• US Citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain quality evaluation, control systems, and protocols for processing materials.
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing to uphold quality standards.
• Design, analyze, and implement inspection and testing processes and equipment; conduct QA tests and statistical analyses.
• Audit quality systems, identify deficiencies, and drive corrective actions for compliance and improvement.
• Identify and remove barriers to quality improvement through root-cause analysis.
• Review contracts/drawings to apply policies and standards (ISO 9000, AS9102, MIL, IPC).
• Interface with production-floor roles and communicate with stakeholders.
• Define, classify, and control quality characteristics; develop control plans and work-instruction updates.
• Manage nonconformances and lead cross-functional containment actions.
• Create and interpret quality-control tools (flowcharts, Pareto, control charts) and FMEAs.
• Interpret drawings and GD&T to verify design requirement compliance.
• Apply benchmarking to drive system-wide quality improvements.
• Facilitate team collaboration and conflict-resolution in quality projects.
• Specialize in design, incoming material, production control, product evaluation, reliability, or R&D as needed.

Skills

Data Analytics

Statistical Analysis

Mentoring

US Citizenship

DoD Secret Clearance Capability

Education

Bachelor of Science in STEM

Master's Degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance 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 Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. We have a wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies. Our differentiated battle management and cyber solutions deliver timely, mission-enabling information and provide superior situational awareness and understanding to protect the U.S. and its global allies.

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is looking for you to join us as a Quality Engineer based on-site in Baltimore, MD .

What you will get to do:

• 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 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 requirements
• Apply 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.

This position may be filled at the Principal or Senior Principal level, depending on candidate experience.

Basic Qualifications for the Principal Quality Engineer:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in a related STEM 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 field.
• Experience with Data Analytics and Statistical Analysis methods and techniques.
• Experience mentoring employees.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance
• US Citizenship required.

Basic Qualifications for the Senior Principal Quality Engineer:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in a related STEM field with a minimum of 8 years of engineering experience in Quality Assurance, which can include investigating failures and identifying root causes or in Manufacturing, Process, Electri