Principal Aeronautical Engineer / Senior Principal Aeronautical Engineer
Northrop Grumman· Defense· Oct 14, 2026 · 13d ago
United States-California-Palmdale
In office
Full-time
Principal
$133K–$210K est.
5+ years exp
Job description
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
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 Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Principal Aeronautical Engineer/Senior Principal Aeronautical Engineer (Liaison Engineer/Material Review Board) - 4/10, 1st Shift to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Vehicle Engineering organization. This role is located in Palmdale, CA.
In this role, you will be assessing and dispositioning non-conformances as they occur in our test environment. The selected candidate will author detailed engineering direction as well as collaborate readily with support engineering roles in order to ensure the integrity of the final product.
Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.
This position can be filled at a Principal Aeronautical Engineer level or a Sr. Principal Aeronautical Engineer level.
Key Responsibilities:
Establish and maintain Material Review Board authority in order to autonomously address the rigors of the role.
Assess, disposition, and buy off non-conformance (MRB) tags and Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) as they arise in the flight test environment.
Coordinate dispositioned repairs, as appropriate, with support roles in the organization.
We offer flexible work arrangements, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. Candidate must be willing to work extended shifts, weekends and holidays as required to meet program schedule and objectives. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.
Basic Qualifications for a Principal Aeronautical Engineer:
Bachelor’s of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering, a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline AND 3 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering, OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 1 year of related professional/military experience in Engineering.
Knowledge of the MRB process / experience with the MRB process
Experience with CATIA V5, NX, Visualization Pro, TeamCenter, MES, or other CAD programs
Be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite) as well as Program Special access within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs. Clearance and Program Access Required for Start as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
Basic Qualifications for a Senior Principal Aeronautical Engineer:
Bachelor’s of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 8 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering, a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline AND 6 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering, OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering.
Knowledge of the MRB process / experience with the MRB process
Experience with CATIA V5, NX, Visualization Pro, TeamCenter, MES, or other CAD programs
Be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite) as well as Program Special access within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs. Clearance and Program Access Required for Start as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
Preferred Qualifications for both levels:
Bachelors or advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering
Experience with the manufacture and repair of composite structures
Experience with the conceptual operation, and troubleshooting of, typical aircraft subsystems
Experience in a developmental/operational test maintenance environment
Experience working in an aircraft manufacturing facility
Experience interfacing with a military customer
Experience working hands-on in a production assembly line environment
Experience with aircraft structures design
Experience with aircraft subsystem design
Previous MRB/LE Authority for Engineering
Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00
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 transparency statement, please visit northropgrumman.com. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
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