Staff Engineer Tool

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Travel opportunities (10% of time)

Job summary

Northrop Grumman in Palmdale, CA, is seeking a design-oriented Staff Engineer for the Tooling department. You will lead the tooling design team, mentor engineers, and ensure compliance with aerospace standards.

Expect close collaboration with shop-floor personnel to turn digital blueprints into tangible fixtures and jigs. You will drive end-to-end FEA and hand calculations to validate tooling integrity, while championing process improvements and cross-functional design reviews with stakeholders

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering with 12 years of experience, or Master's with 10 years, or PhD with 9 years.
• Active Mechanical PE license or EIT issued by California BPELSG.
• Advanced GD&T knowledge (ASME Y14.5).
• Experience applying stress analysis via hand calculations and FEA.
• Experience with CAD tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or CATIA.
• Experience in managing projects (cost, schedule, and technical performance).

Responsibilities

• Design precision tooling using 3D CAD and 2D drawings in Siemens NX.
• Create and release Bills of Materials for tool fabrication.
• Apply GD&T to ensure tight fit and tolerances across tools.
• Apply DFM principles to reduce costs and delays.
• Select materials considering metallurgy and polymer engineering.
• Use FEA software (e.g., Femap) to verify structural integrity under loads.
• Lead design reviews and mentor junior engineers.
• Collaborate with shop-floor and manufacturing teams to implement digital designs.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

PhD in Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

Catia

Femap

FEA software

GD&T ASME Y14.5

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

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 is looking for a design-oriented Staff Engineer to join our Tooling department on-site at Palmdale, CA . We are looking for an accomplished technical leader who is highly motivated to dive headfirst into the world of advanced tool design, structural optimization, and complex stress analysis.

In this role, you will not just design; you will act as a principal face of the department and a cornerstone of our engineering team. You will drive a culture of excellence, providing technical mentorship to junior engineers and leading the design team to ensure strict compliance with rigorous aerospace regulations, corporate standards, and internal quality procedures.

From concept to completion, you will work alongside industry experts to design and validate critical manufacturing assets, including complex assembly jigs, composite molds, lifting fixtures, and handling equipment. Utilizing cutting-edge simulation software and classical hand calculations, you will perform end-to-end Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and classical analytical stress analysis to guarantee structural integrity and margin-of-safety compliance. This highly collaborative position bridges the gap between digital innovation and physical execution, allowing you to work directly with shop-floor technicians and manufacturing engineers to see your advanced digital blueprints come to life on the production floor.

Job Duties

• Design precision tooling by creating detailed 3D CAD models and 2D engineering drawings using Siemens NX software
• Create, manage, and release comprehensive Bills of Materials (BOMs) ensuring all raw materials, standard hardware, and manufactured components are accurately captured for tool fabrication
• Apply Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) to ensure all manufactured tools and associated components fit together precisely and maintain strict production tolerances
• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles to ensure lower costs and avoid production delays
• Follow a disciplined approach to material selection with respect to material science (e.g. metallurgy and polymer engineering)
• Utilize Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software (e.g. Femap) to evaluate the structural integrity and performance of tools that experience heavy static and dynamic loads
• Actively participate in the creation, review, and revision control of departmental procedures and process documentation to ensure all materials are accurate, up-to-date, and compliant with company standards
• Lead and participate in cross-functional design review meetings with stakeholders to guarantee that all design requirements and standards are being met
• Support local and regional design teams by providing technical expertise, resource sharing, and assistance
• Provide guidance to fellow engineers regarding design concepts and specification requirements to best utilize equipment and manufacturing techniques
• Act as an authority in ensuring the department is in full compliance with all relevant industry regulations, corporate standards, and statutory requirements
• Serve as a technical representative and face of the Tool Engineer department, championing the team's capabilities and presenting technical strategies to executive leadership, cross-functional stakeholders, and external partners

Basic Qualifications

• Must have a Bachelor's degree with 12 year of engineering experience or Master's degree with 10 years of engineering experience or PhD with 9 years of engineering experience
• Has an active Mechanical Professional Engineer (PE) license or an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate issued by the California BPELSG
• Has advanced knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T/ASME Y 14.5)
• Has demonstrated experience applying stress analysis techniques and concepts to validate structural integrity via hand calculations and FEA tools
• Has experience with computer-aided design tools and systems (e.g., NX, Solidworks, or Catia)
• Has experience in managing projects (cost, schedule, and technical performance)
• Has experience