Staff Engineer, Tooling & Structural Analysis

Northrop Grumman; Palmdale (CA); On-site; USD 161,000 - 241,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a design-oriented Staff Engineer for the Tooling department in Palmdale, CA. You will lead design and analysis of tooling assets, including jigs and molds, working with shop-floor teams to bring digital concepts to production.

You will mentor engineers, uphold aerospace standards, and drive compliance with company and regulatory requirements, while engaging with leadership and external partners.

Qualifications

• Must have a Bachelor's degree with 12 years of engineering experience or Master’s with 10 years or PhD with 9 years of engineering experience.
• Active Mechanical PE license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate.
• Advanced knowledge of GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Experience applying stress analysis via hand calculations and FEA tools.
• Experience with CAD tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or Catia.
• Experience managing projects (cost, schedule, tech performance).
• Experience in medium to large-scale tooling fabrication (composites, metals, coatings).
• U.S. Citizen; ability to obtain/maintain Secret clearance; travel ~10%.

Responsibilities

• Design precision tooling with 3D CAD models and 2D drawings using Siemens NX.
• Create and release Bills of Materials for tool fabrication.
• Apply GD&T to ensure tooling fits and tolerances.
• Apply DFM to reduce costs and avoid delays.
• Select materials per metallurgy/polymer engineering principles.
• Use FEA (e.g., Femap) for structural evaluation under loads.
• Contribute to procedures, reviews, and documentation.
• Lead cross-functional design reviews and guide junior engineers.
• Provide technical guidance and ensure regulatory/compliance standards.
• Act as technical representative for the Tooling department to leadership.

Skills

GD&T knowledge

FEA tools

CAD tools

Project management

Security clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s degree in engineering

PhD in engineering

PE license

EIT certificate

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

Catia

Femap

Job description

Northrop Grumman is seeking a design-oriented Staff Engineer for the Tooling department in Palmdale, CA. You will lead design and analysis of tooling assets, including jigs and molds, working with shop-floor teams to bring digital concepts to production.

You will mentor engineers, uphold aerospace standards, and drive compliance with company and regulatory requirements, while engaging with leadership and external partners.