Principal Manufacturing Engineer - Sheet Metal Machining

What You'll Get To Do:
The Principal Manufacturing Engineer - Sheet Metal Machining will report directly to the Manufacturing Engineering Manager and will support manufacturing programs at the site, including:

Designs manufacturing processes and procedures and production layouts for sheet metal parts.

Equipment setup, processing, and material handling for sheet metal.

Designs sequence of operations and specifies procedures for the fabrication of parts, tools, equipment and other functions affecting product performance.

Adapts machine or equipment design to factory and production conditions.

Incorporates inspection and test requirements into the production plan.

Routings, prototype requests, and capability reviews.

Monitors performance of machinery, equipment, and tools to verify their efficiency.

Investigates, initiates and executes solutions to ensure product quality.

Develops manufacturing processes and applies statistical process control. Provides guidance to engineering regarding design concepts and specification requirements to best utilize equipment and manufacturing techniques. Ensures processes and procedures are compliant with regulations.

Interfaces directly with assemblers, cell supervisors and others in Operations. Must be knowledgeable in and capable of assessing manufacturing engineering processes and procedures

Supervises, instructs, and trains sheet metal mechanics and techs.

Drives affordability through monitoring of schedule and cost.

Travels to suppliers as required, to achieve positive outcomes.

Fosters a collaborative culture that sustains momentum around engagement, problem solving, and continuous improvement.

Serves as a strong voice for Manufacturing Engineering and a role model for NG Values.

This position is onsite only with a 6:00AM start time.
Basic Qualifications for the Principal Manufacturing Engineer:

Bachelor's Degree or higher in engineering or other STEM major with a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in manufacturing/production, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering OR a Master's degree with a minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience in manufacturing/production, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. Candidates with an Associate's degree and a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in manufacturing/production, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering AND candidates with a high school diploma (or GED) and 9 years of relevant experience in manufacturing/production, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering will also be considered.

Experience with sheet metal drawings, material distinctions, punch/metal working equipment and manufacturing metal working process troubleshooting

CAD experience

Ability to obtain an IPC 610/620 certification

Experience working in a manufacturing machine shop including supporting and training Techs and Operators

CNC machine operation experience

CMM/automated measurement equipment experience and GD&T experience

Experience reading blueprints and specifications for machine shop and fabricated parts

Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance

US Citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with ISO 9001/AS9100 Quality Management System certification process

Certified Six Sigma Green Belt or better

Experience facilitating Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) activities

Experience auditing and improving manufacturing processes

Defense industry experience

Experience with subassembly and final assembly build structure

Experience creating flat patterns for sheet metal to meet drawing requirements

Experience estimating all aspects of machine shop and fabrication set up and run times to accurately plan for cost and production times

Experience with Model Based Engineering

Experience with LEAN manufacturing principles

Advanced machine setups and machining capabilities experience

Experience with Corrective Action Requests (CAR) and ability to address and resolve CARs; ability to evaluate machined parts and determine if scrap or eligible for rework

Experience with SigmaNest, SAP Business System, MPLM, AutoCAD and NX

What We Can Offer You:
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment which encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Northrop Grumman benefits give you the flexibility and control to choose the benefits that make the most sense for you and your family.
Your benefits will include the following: Health Plan, Savings Plan, Paid Time Off and Additional Benefits including Education Assistance, Training and Development, 9/80 Work Schedule (where available), and much more!
Primary Level Salary Range: $89,400.00 - $134,200.00The 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 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.

Client-provided location(s): Charlottesville, VA

Job ID: NorthropGrumman-R10223677

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-03-01T19:24:40