Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Staff Mission Assurance Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be onsite in Palmdale, CA. In this role, you will lead and manage mission assurance program specifications and processes to ensure the program's mission success. You will ensure the quality, risk management, safety, reliability, and maintainability of program achievements, subcontractors, and suppliers. You will collaborate closely with the Mission Assurance program leadership team to drive continuous improvement initiatives and ensure compliance with contractual requirements.
Our team is exceptionally detail-oriented. We work on sophisticated projects in the aerospace industry, producing high-quality work. Each team member has individual assignments, but we work as a united team to identify and resolve potential issues before product timelines are impacted. Our team pursues inclusivity, diversity, and balance in both workload and work-life. We feel strongly about treating each other with respect and working with integrity.
Responsibilities include:
The candidate should possess strong technical problem solving, written and verbal communication skills, perform technical assessments, and participate in CCB (Change Control Board) and data review activities.
The candidate is expected to regularly interface with operations, program management, engineering staff, and external customers.
Responsible for failure investigations, Customer/DCMA CARs, escapements, and data analytics to drive corrective actions. Communicate with customers, in the required time frame, on investigations and actions for each complaint/escapement.
Responsible for oversight of technical, in-depth quality requirements for the program, ensuring that contract requirements are met, and documentation is compliant with requirements
Lead Material Review Board submittals. Ensuring compliance with customer specifications/requirements in concurrence with the Chief Process Engineers.
Review of First Article Inspections, and present First Articles to the customer representative.
Assist in reviewing Supplier MRB and decision as to whether NG will request a SCAR
Assess and mitigate risks related to customer quality requirements, contract review, and assist Quality Engineering work when reviewing new contracts.
Technical reviews of drawings, SOW’s, Requirements, and documents as required
Provides qualified Mission Assurance engineering support to all Program organizations (e.g., Operations, Production Control, Design Engineering, etc.) with daily interactions, as required
Leads and collaborates with cross-functional teams to ensure quality standards are developed and maintained
Primary contact for quality and safety matters for the Government and DCMA representatives
Able to effectively communicate solutions, ideas, and concepts to a diverse audience
Working knowledge of Material Review Board (MRB) standards, practices, and Customer engagement
Develop, analyze, and present metrics to customers and program leadership
Guide Mission Assurance processes and requirements integration with engineering activities to varying levels of management and customers.
Interface with manufacturing, engineering, program management, and subcontractor representatives to resolve issues and non-conformances.
Special Projects to support Mission Assurance Priorities and goals as assigned
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline with 12 Years of Quality Engineering and/or Mission Assurance work experience; 10 Years experience with Masters; 8 Years experience with PhD.
Experience with quality management systems to support program processes, audits, and/or improvements.
Experience with Mission Assurance/Quality Engineering practices.
Accomplished process improvements involving Lean Six Sigma and Root Cause Analysis processes.
Knowledge of Inspection Plans and First Article Inspections
Competence of Quality Management Systems (AS9100, ISO 9001, or Military Quality Assurance)
Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines with attention to detail.
Excellent communication skills – Clear, concise reporting to senior leadership and stakeholders.
Experience with M.S. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Experience with fast‑paced program environments where schedule volatility is common.
Dynamic work‑hour flexibility – Proven ability to adjust schedule on short notice, including rotating shifts, evening/weekend coverage, and overtime, to meet critical program milestones and production demands.
As a condition of employment, the candidate must have and maintain an active Secret clearance and be able to obtain a special access program (SAP) clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
Technical reviews of drawings, Statement of Work, and requirements traceability documents.
Experience in processing, monitoring, data collection, analysis, and metric reporting for the overall program and segments
Experience with manufacturing, quality controls, inspection, and/or non-conformance controls.
Prior aircraft manufacturing experience
Background in Composites
Experience conducting First Article Inspections and completing DD 250
Knowledge of data analysis methods and tools.
Work schedule:
Shift: 9/80A
Shift hours: 5am-3:30pm
Work schedules and hours can vary. Must be willing to work any shift.
Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00The 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.ngc