Northrop Grumman
Sentinel Principal / Sr Principal Manufacturing Engineer - 20466*
United States-California-Vandenberg AFB
hirly Pro
Get in front of the people hiring at Northrop Grumman
- Reach the hiring manager at Northrop Grumman on LinkedIn, from your own account
- hirly applies to this job for you, with unlimited applications
- A resume and cover letter written for this job, unlimited
- The hiring manager and recruiter at Northrop Grumman, with contact details
$49 a month · ₹1,999 for 30 days in India · cancel any time
Get past the screening software and onto a recruiter's desk
hirly rewrites your resume for this job — matching the keywords and skills in the posting, moving your most relevant experience to the top, and writing a cover letter to fit. About 30 seconds.
- Keywords matched to this posting
- Fit score before you apply
- Cover letter included
Matched against 3M live jobs from 220,000+ employers in 200+ countries.
Tailor my resume for this job →Apply from your AI assistant
Connect hirly to Claude or ChatGPT and ask it to apply to this job. hirly tailors your resume, fills the employer’s form and asks before sending.
Some employer sites stop an application at a CAPTCHA or sign-in and hand it back with a link. Applying needs a paid plan. Works with any assistant that supports MCP.
hirly's read of this role
- Seniority
- Lead / management
- Country
- US
- Work mode
- On-site / unstated
- First seen by hirly
- 26 Oct 2026
Derived automatically from the posting. Upload your resume above to see how the role scores against it.
the posting
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 Defense Systems is seeking Principal / Sr Principal Manufacturing Engineer . This position will be located in Vandenberg , CA
Join the Production Operations MFG Engineering team for Sentinel and take part in engineering solutions to deploy and deliver a state-of-the-art weapon system to our customer. This position requires a highly motivated self-starter with knowledge in the fabrication, assembly, system integration, deployment and testing of engineered products. The candidate will be involved in all engineering activities supporting the deployment of critical test systems for the Sentinel program. This includes, but is not limited to, working with suppliers to develop a compliant Manufacturing Plan, conducting Manufacturing Readiness Assessment (MRA) events, engineering solutions for the deployment and install of products, Bill of Materials creation, developing work and installation instructions, supporting system test, and tool design. The candidate will demonstrate exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills, be capable of working a variety of tasks in a proactive manner, can task orient, and communicate effectively with varying levels of Government, NGC, and Supplier personnel.
The candidate will provide advanced technological ideas and Subject Matter Expertise (SME) to resolve technical questions and ensure compliance and execution to the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Statement of Work (SOW) requirements. Primary responsibilities will include providing technical and administrative leadership and guidance to the various program Integrated Product Team (IPT) cohorts and Suppliers in support of:
Production documentation and data
Build/Buy
Assembly, installation, and work instructions
Specialty Tooling design, development, and production in support of test installation activities
Team liaison and SME for engineering support during field test activities
Job Responsibilities:
Represents the organization as a technical contact, interacts with senior personnel on important technical matters, facilitates inter-team coordination, and reinforces leadership’s vision and goals
Develop processes by studying requirements; research, design, modify, and test production/installation methods and equipment
Collaborates with Design Engineering on design to ensure practical manufacturing, installation, and fabrication solutions
Coordinates with the integration team(s) on day-to-day activities; resolves complex process issues
Research and evaluate commercially available tools and equipment to support test activities
Investigates root cause of discrepancies and implements corrective actions
Troubleshoots existing processes to improve safety, quality, cost, and efficiency
Develops and maintains detailed work and install instructions for assigned products/processes
Educates/trains operators on new and existing processes
Establish and maintain a program project plan and schedule that is aligned with the program Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
Provide on-site engineering support during field installations
Provides advanced technological ideas and Subject Matter Expertise (SME) to resolve technical questions and ensure compliance to the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Statement of Work (SOW) requirements
Implement Lean practices to continually identify opportunities for improvement
Position Benefits
As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including
Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
401k
Educational Assistance
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
Paid Time Off
Health & Wellness Resources
Employee Discounts
This positions standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off. This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.
Basic Qualifications :
Principal Manufacturing Engineer (T03) : Bachelors degree with 5 years of experience; Master's degree with 3 years of experience, or PhD with 1 year of experience 4 years additional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
Sr. Principal Manufacturing Engineer (T04) : Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 8 years of experience, 6 years with a Masters, or 4 years with a PhD; 4 years additional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
Required for both levels:
Must have 3 years working experience in a digital manufacturing environment using core systems (PLM/ERP/MES)
Must have an Active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance, with an ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business need
Preferred Qualifications :
Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in an engineering discipline such as Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Aerospace, etc.
Experience working in a test environment
Experience deploying engineering solutions to the field
Previous experience in production for a military program
Previous experience on EMD projects
Experience with Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM)
An understanding of Manufacturing Readiness Assessment’s and establishing Manufacturing Readiness Levels per DoD customer requirements
Prior experience developing and designing tooling for field work and installations
An understanding of tooling, work instructions, and visual aid
Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $12,900.00 - $193,900.00
The 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
Listed on hirly, a job board. hirly is not the employer: Northrop Grumman is hiring for this role.
Similar jobs
Browse similar roles
Want this one?
Upload your resume and hirly rewrites it for this job and writes the cover letter — in about thirty seconds, before you sign up.
Tailor my resume for this job