Principal Engineer Propulsion

Northrop Grumman is currently seeking a Principal Propulsion Engineer to join our team at our Ronkonkoma, New York location to support the Propulsion Systems and Controls (PS&C) business unit.

The Northrop Grumman PS&C business unit is based in Elkton, Maryland and began solid-propellant rocket operations in 1948. Today, the Elkton PS&C facility designs, develops, and produces solid-propellant propulsion and ordnance systems in programs professionally managed for a wide variety of Government and commercial customers. The Palm Beach Gardens location is the Air-breathing propulsion center of excellence specializing in the design, analysis and system integration of ramjets, scramjets and other advanced air-breathing propulsion systems.

Perform mechanical design of one or more moderately complex structural components and functional systems of company products. Generally work from preliminary studies developed by higher graded engineers. Analyze requirements for materials, structural component, or functional systems. Select applicable analytical data from previous products, determine the technical principles involved, mathematically define the problem and compute the engineering characteristics consistent with the specifications, design needs and requirements of other portions of the product. Release results as design data after review by higher graded engineer. Develop original ideas and elaborate on preliminary design concepts. Evaluate completed design with supervisor and other technical groups and make modification necessary to achieve an ideal design.

Job Responsibilities

• Perform mechanical design of moderately complex advanced propulsion components and functional systems with limited supervision
• Apply theoretical knowledge, engineering techniques, and test data to the solution of more complex components, structures, and sub-assemblies
• Develop original ideas on preliminary design concepts with other technical groups and make modifications necessary to optimize designs
• Establish requirements for materials, structural components, and functional systems
• Determine engineering tasks required for project planning and execution, communicate milestones and need dates to program leads
• Document results of design activities and release results after review from other engineers
• Make recommendations for improving own work and/or group’s work
• Support test program under the direction of higher graded engineers with mechanical and fluid system design, fabrication, installation and verification
• Generate hardware design packages, coordinate machine shop fabrication, test cell installation and inspection/acceptance criteria through issuance of work packages
• Support generation of presentation materials for various reviews required throughout the design process
• Work with procurement to ensure hardware and expendables are delivered to enable fabrication, installation and test of systems supporting test programs

Basic Qualifications

• Requires Bachelors in Engineering & 5 years of experience or Master’s Degree in Engineering & 3 years of experience or a PhD & one year of experience
• Ability to obtain a Secret Clearance which requires US Citizenship as a pre-requisite
• Proficiency with Siemens NX
• Ability and willingness to travel

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to lead a multi-disciplinary team through various efforts required to design, fabricate and install multiple subsystems in support of a high-speed propulsion system test program
• Experience with mechanical design of propulsion or fluid systems
• Current active Security Clearance
• Proficiency with Siemens Teamcenter United Architecture
• Ability to interpret and apply Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Knowledgeable in systems engineering approach to ensure program requirements are met
• Experience as a Cost Account Manager (CAM) maintaining budgetary and schedule compliance, while ensuring technical quality
• Familiar with proactive risk management techniques, such as risk registers and failure modes, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA)
• Ability to analyze test data from a typical high-speed direct connect test to assess engine performance
• Experience in the design, fabrication, assembly and installation of high-speed propulsion system test articles including mechanical and systems

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.