Senior Principal Engineer i Engineering Excellence & Problem Solving

Kratos Unmanned Systems; Auburn Hills (MI); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Kratos Unmanned Systems seeks a Senior Principal Engineer to lead engineering-excellence investigations and robust problem solving across product design, manufacturing, and supplier issues. You will guide teams using DFSS, Six Sigma, and advanced statistical methods to improve turbine-engine related performance and reliability.

The role emphasizes coaching, cross-functional collaboration, and the development of repeatable problem-solving standards while ensuring alignment with program

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in engineering, quality, reliability, manufacturing, operational excellence, or technical problem-solving.
• Extensive experience leading complex engineering and root-cause investigations.
• Demonstrated experience with Lean Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, FMEA, DOE, MSA, SPC, process capability, and statistical analysis.
• Experience supporting complex engineered products in development and production.
• Strong technical writing, communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.
• Ability to influence and lead without direct organizational authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex cross-functional investigations involving product performance, design, manufacturing, suppliers, materials, inspection, assembly, and test data.
• Establish clear problem statements, containment actions, data-collection plans, root-cause evidence, corrective actions, and validation criteria.
• Apply problem-solving tools (DMAIC/DMADV/DFSS/DOE, regression, Weibull, fault-tree, MSA, SPC) to root causes.
• Support NCR, CAPA, FRACAS, RMA, supplier corrective-action, and field-failure investigations.
• Facilitate design for six sigma and reliability through DFMEA, tolerance analysis, and DOE.
• Help identify key characteristics, critical characteristics, and performance-sensitive design parameters.
• Correlate design requirements, dimensional variation, material properties, manufacturing conditions, and engine performance.
• Apply Weibull and reliability methods to evaluate failure modes, product life, risk, and improvement opportunities.

Skills

Advanced problem solving

Design robustness

Reliability engineering

Statistical analysis

Systems thinking

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Coaching and capability development

Fact-based decision-making

Clear technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering/Engineering Management/Quality/Statistics

Tools

Weibull analysis

FMEA

DOE

MSA

SPC

Job description

GENERAL JOB SUMMARY:

The Senior Principal Engineer Engineering Excellence & Problem Solving serves as a senior individual-contributor and technical subject-matter expert responsible for leading complex engineering investigations, improving product and process robustness, and strengthening TDIis structured problem-solving capabilities.

Reporting to the Director of Operations and primarily supporting the Engineering organization, this position works cross-functionally with Product Engineering, Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Supply Chain, Test, Program Management, and external suppliers.

The Senior Principal Engineer applies Design for Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, reliability engineering, statistical analysis, and advanced root-cause methods to resolve complex technical issues involving turbine-engine performance, design variation, manufacturing processes, supplier components, materials, dimensional conditions, measurement systems, assembly, and testing.

This position does not have direct reports and does not replace the responsible design engineer, Engineering leadership, Configuration Control Board, Quality authority, or functional process owners. The role leads analysis, facilitates technical problem-solving, challenges assumptions, develops recommendations, and builds organizational capability through coaching and standardization.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Engineering Problem Solving

• Lead complex cross-functional investigations involving product performance, design, manufacturing, suppliers, materials, inspection, assembly, and test data.
• Establish clear problem statements, containment actions, data-collection plans, root-cause evidence, corrective actions, and validation criteria.
• Apply appropriate problem-solving tools, including DMAIC, DMADV, DFSS, DOE, regression analysis, Weibull analysis, fault-tree analysis, MSA, SPC, and process capability.
• Ensure teams distinguish between symptoms, contributing factors, escape points, and verified root causes.
• Support NCR, CAPA, FRACAS, RMA, supplier corrective-action, and field-failure investigations.

Design Robustness and Reliability

• Support Engineering in applying Design for Six Sigma throughout product development, design changes, qualification, and production support.
• Facilitate DFMEA, design-risk reviews, tolerance analysis, functional analysis, and Design of Experiments.
• Help identify key characteristics, critical characteristics, and performance-sensitive design parameters.
• Correlate design requirements, dimensional variation, material properties, manufacturing conditions, and engine performance.
• Apply Weibull and reliability methods to evaluate failure modes, product life, risk, and improvement opportunities.
• Incorporate lessons learned from testing, nonconformances, supplier issues, and field performance into future designs.

Engineering and Manufacturing Integration

• Support producibility, manufacturability, inspection, testability, and production-readiness reviews.
• Connect DFMEA outputs to PFMEAs, control plans, inspection plans, work instructions, and process controls.
• Identify gaps between engineering intent and manufacturing execution.
• Support prototype builds, qualification, validation, low-rate production, and production-release activities.
• Help determine whether issues are design-related, process-related, supplier-related, material-related, measurement-related, or test-related.

Supplier and Measurement Support

• Support Supplier Quality with technically complex supplier investigations.
• Participate in supplier process reviews, corrective-action reviews, and capability assessments.
• Evaluate supplier manufacturing processes, special processes, dimensional data, inspection systems, and measurement correlation.
• Support MSA, SPC, process capability, sampling plans, and measurement-system improvement.
• Help develop technical recovery plans for critical components and supplier processes.

Continuous Improvement and Capability Development

• Lead selected Lean Six Sigma projects tied to quality, delivery, cost, capacity, reliability, and customer commitments.
• Develop TDI problem-solving standards, templates, procedures, and training materials.
• Train and coach Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Supplier Quality personnel in structured problem-solving.
• Facilitate technical workshops, root-cause sessions, reliability reviews, and improvement events.
• Build internal capability so functional teams can independently apply these methods.
• Establish a reusable lessons-learned process across programs.

Technical Communication

• Prepare clear technical reports, investigation summaries, statistical analyses, and executive or customer presentations.
• Document data sources, assumptions, methods, findings, conclusions, corrective actions, and validation results.
• Communicate technical information effectively to engineers, technicians, suppliers, customers, and leadership.
• Maintain records in accordance with TDI procedures, customer requirements, and configuration-control requirements.

AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The Senior Principal Engineer may:

• Lead assigned technical investigations.
• Request relevant engineering, manufacturing, supplier, quality, dimensional, and test data.
• Recommend containment, testing, design changes, process changes, supplier actions, and corrective actions.
• Escalate unresolved technical risks or unsupported conclusions.
• Challenge assumptions and request objective evidence before investigation closure.

The Senior Principal Engineer does not independently approve:

• Engineering drawings or specifications.
• Configuration changes.
• Product release or shipment.
• Supplier commercial decisions.
• Program priorities.
• Changes outside established functional approval processes.

Keyword: DFSS, Lean Six Sigma, DOE, FMEA, SPC, MSA, Weibull, reliability engineering, root cause, statistical analysis, design robustness, manufacturing issues, aerospace, turbine engines, CAPA, FRACAS

Required Experience:

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Required

• Bacheloris degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in engineering, quality, reliability, manufacturing, operational excellence, or technical problem-solving.
• Extensive experience leading complex engineering and root-cause investigations.
• Demonstrated experience with Lean Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, FMEA, DOE, MSA, SPC, process capability, and statistical analysis.
• Experience supporting complex engineered products in development and production.
• Strong technical writing, communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.
• Ability to influence and lead without direct organizational authority.

Preferred

• Masteris degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, Quality, Statistics, or a related field.
• Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience with Weibull analysis and reliability engineering.
• Aerospace, defense, turbine-engine, automotive, or precision-manufacturing experience.
• Experience with AS9100, APQP, FRACAS, CAPA, configuration management, and product-development gate reviews.
• Experience with suppliers, special processes, machining, welding, balancing, metrology, and CMM systems.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Advanced problem solving
• Design robustness
• Reliability engineering
• Statistical analysis
• Systems thinking
• Technical leadership
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Coaching and capability development
• Fact-based decision-making
• Clear technical communication

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Performance will be measured by the individualis ability to:

• Resolve complex technical issues using objective evidence.
• Improve the quality and consistency of root-cause investigations.
• Reduce recurrence of significant product and process problems.
• Improve linkage between design requirements, supplier data, manufacturing data, and engine performance.
• Strengthen DFMEA, PFMEA, control-plan, and lessons-learned integration.
• Develop internal engineering and problem-solving capability.
• Complete improvement projects with measurable technical, operational, customer, or financial benefit.
• Provide strong technical leadership while respecting established functional authority.

PHYSICAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work in office, engineering, laboratory, manufacturing, test, and supplier environments.
• Ability to travel to suppliers, customers, test sites, and company locations as required.
• Ability to support urgent technical investigations and customer commitments when necessary.
• Ability to comply with all safety, security, export-control, quality, and customer requirements.

DISCLAIMER

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed in this position. Duties and responsibilities may be adjusted based on business needs, program requirements, and organizational priorities.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• 0-25% May be required between other Kratos locations

THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE INTENDED TO DESCRIBE THE GENERAL NATURE AND LEVEL OF WORK BEING PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALSiASSIGNED TO THIS CLASSIFICATION. THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE CONSTRUED AS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL RESPONSIBILITIES, DUTIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED OF PERSONNEL SO CLASSIFIED.

A REVIEW OF THIS CLASSIFICATION HAS EXCLUDED THE MARGINAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASSIFICATION THAT AREiINCIDENTAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF FUNDAMENTAL JOB JUTIES. ALL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE MODIFICATION TO REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THIS JOB PROFICIENTLY.i THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE THE MINIMUM LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR ABILITIES.

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From: Kratos Defense