Sr Principal Engineer Microelectronic Process

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: 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 Mission Systems is seeking an accomplished Senior Principal Microelectronics Engineer based out of Linthicum, MD to lead advanced packaging and microelectronics assembly initiatives for high-reliability, mission-critical systems.
Advanced Technology Lab (ATL) - located outside of Baltimore, Maryland - is where we design, manufacture, and test semiconductor products for internal and commercial production customers as well as emerging technology programs. Northrop Grumman's ATL semiconductor foundry has unique capabilities supporting a range of production microelectronic devices (Silicon, Gallium Arsenide, Gallium Nitride, Silicon Carbide, Carbon Nanotubes) and providing leading edge technology development in superconducting electronics. Our devices enable several Northrop Grumman's ground-based radars, avionic radars, and space systems.
Join us for the chance to work with an experienced and talented team while helping serve your country. Enjoy the opportunity to grow and learn with a variety of challenging projects in production, R&D, ongoing long-term programs, and new programs targeting future military platforms.

You'll Get To:
Bring your comprehensive understanding of semiconductor die packaging-from wafer preparation through hermetic sealing and final delivery. Drive innovation, ensure compliance to space and defense standards, and mentor multidisciplinary teams.
Utilize your deep expertise in eutectic die attach, wire bonding, hermetic encapsulation, seam sealing/lidding, and laser dicing, along with the strategic insight to integrate these processes into robust, repeatable, and cost-effective manufacturing flows.
The Senior Principal Engineer will provide technical leadership, system-level perspective, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure packaging solutions meet the demanding reliability requirements of aerospace and defense applications.
Key Responsibilities

Packaging Process Leadership: Own end-to-end packaging flows, including wafer prep, laser dicing, die attach (eutectic and epoxy), pick-and-place, wire bonding, hermetic encapsulation, seam sealing, and tape-and-reel.

Mission Assurance: Ensure all packaging processes meet MIL-STD, NASA, JEDEC, and customer specifications for high-reliability applications, including Class K space hardware.

Integration & Strategy: Provide a system-level perspective of how packaging processes interact and impact device performance, yield, and long-term reliability. Drive design-for-packaging into product development lifecycles.

Technical Authority: Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) in packaging for internal teams, customer reviews, and external audits. Provide technical guidance in supplier evaluations, tool procurements, and process qualifications.

Problem Solving & Improvement: Lead root cause investigations on complex yield and reliability challenges. Direct corrective and preventive actions across the packaging value stream.

Innovation & Capability Growth: Identify and champion new packaging technologies, equipment, and methodologies to improve manufacturability, throughput, and reliability.

Collaboration & Mentorship: Partner with design engineering, reliability, operations, and program management teams. Mentor junior engineers and technicians to grow organizational capability in advanced packaging.

Documentation & Compliance: Author and review technical documentation, including process travelers, work instructions, and qualification reports to ensure compliance with customer and regulatory standards.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field and 8+ years of experience in microelectronics packaging, or 6+ years with a Master's degree, or 4+ years with a PhD.

Hands-on and leadership experience with eutectic die attach, thermosonic wire bonding (Au/Al), hermetic encapsulation/seam sealing, and laser dicing along with the demonstrated ability to analyze packaging yield data, drive process improvements, and lead corrective actions.