Sr Principal Mechanical/Automation Engineer

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking an experienced Mechanical/Automation Engineer. This role will support a team responsible for Automation Equipment design, procurement, and facility integration within the Defense Sector team in the Plymouth, MN offices.
Location:
This position requires on-site support. Selected candidate will need to be within commuting distance or relocate to our site in Plymouth, MN. Relocation may be available.
This career opportunity is a great fit for self-motivated, proactive individual who wants to plan and run projects for the Northrop Grumman Medium Caliber Ammunition Co-Production team. Our engineers work in a high exposure, fast paced, and exciting environment that involves hands-on technical challenges, problem solving, and inter-department collaborations. The candidate shall also apply strong engineering fundamentals, demonstrate clear communication with those they interact with, and must be able to support up to 50% domestic and international travel for the duration of the program. If you thrive on attention to detail and want different challenges each day, this is the place for you.
Position Description:

Position reports to Medium Caliber Ammunition (MCA) co-production manager and work with adjacent engineering groups.
Works with team to design and procure automated equipment capable of manufacturing multiple MCA cartridges.
Aid in install and commissioning activities at the final facilities (often international locations).
Assist in the preparation of engineering project proposals.
Communicating issues and status frequently and effectively both verbally and in writing.
Works closely with the existing systems engineering and Quality Management System (QMS) processes to ensure proper rigor and technical acumen is applied throughout the engineering lifecycle.
Presents work products at program reviews, proposals, or other project meetings.
Acts as a technical interface to external customers, and forms working relationships with representatives of external technical organizations.
Supports manufacturing trade studies and early supplier involvement.
Will involve sometimes stepping into other roles when needed.
Travel up to 50% domestic and internationally to customers and suppliers. During implementation phase, travel may consist of up to 30 consecutive days at a time.
Responsibilities include:

Participates with the design and assembly teams in equipment design optimization and new equipment feature development, including directing the daily work activities of a small team (5-7 engineers) internal and external.
Working closely with key vendors to design, produce, and prove out automated equipment.
Read, understand, and modify equipment/machinery and product drawings and specifications, in both production and testing environments.
Design or update manufacturing and assembly process documents.
Communicating issues and status frequently and effectively both verbally and in writing.
Technical understanding of mechanical systems and manufacturing processes.
Requires extensive regular contact with assigned project customers, both internal and external.
Generate and maintain lists of open issues and diligently track them to resolution.
Perform failure analysis of physical and functional test results when results do not meet requirements.
Basic Qualifications

Must have 12 years of experience in manufacturing and production of mechanical components and/or systems.
Will consider Bachelor of Science degree in engineering discipline plus 8 years of experience as listed above; or master's degree plus 6 years' experience; or PhD plus 4 years of experience
Demonstrated experience in automated equipment design, testing, validation, assembly, and rigging.
2+ years of experience with engineering design software applications such as Solidworks, and/or Creo.
Experience with electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and control systems.
U.S. Citizenship
Preferred Qualifications:

5+ years of experience in automated equipment design
10 years of relevant professional experience.
Experience in a manufacturing environment.
Experience in leading a small team of 3 or more engineers.
Knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
Fluency in MS Office software applications.
Experience as a Cost Account Manager (CAM), Earned Value Management System (EVMS), and Item Master Scheduling (IMS) experience.
Primary Level Salary Range: $119,200.00 - $178,800.00The 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): Plymouth, MN

Job ID: NorthropGrumman-R10209018

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-09-26T20:15:34