Staff Mission Assurance Engineer - Continuous Improvement

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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.

At the heart of Defining Possible is our commitment to missions. In rapidly changing global security environments, Northrop Grumman brings informed insights and software-secure technology to enable strategic planning. We are looking for innovators who can help us keep building on our wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies that fuel those missions. By joining in our shared mission, we ’II support yours of expanding your personal network and developing skills, whether you are new to the field, or an industry thought leader. At Northrop Grumman, you ’II have the resources, support, and team to do some of the best work of your career.

The Continuous Improvement Mission Assurance Engineer will serve as a subject matter expert and leader in driving systematic, data-driven enhancements across our processes, products, and services. Working with cross-functional teams, you will identify waste, streamline workflows, and embed a culture of Kaizen that delivers measurable gains in cost, quality, and speed.  The ideal candidate for this role will be a cross-industry subject-matter expert who proactively surfaces and eliminates early-stage process weaknesses. They thrive in ambiguous environments, work across silos, persist through setbacks, and deliver quantifiable results quickly.

This position will be based full-time on-site in Linthicum, MD near the Baltimore area.

What You'll Get To Do:  

• Lead end‑to‑end improvement projects using Lean, Six‑Sigma, and Agile methodologies.  

• Conduct value‑stream mapping, root‑cause analysis (5 Why, Fishbone), and process‑performance audits.  

• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and ROI calculations for each initiative. 

• Facilitate workshops, Kaizen events, and training sessions to up‑skill staff in continuous‑improvement tools.  

• Create and maintain a central improvement backlog, ensuring transparent prioritization against strategic goals.  

• Partner with IT, Finance, and Operations to design or configure automation solutions (RPA, workflow engines).  

• Produce concise executive dashboards and progress reports for senior leadership.  

• Mentor junior team members and act as a change‑management champion throughout the organization 

• Serves as the organization's subject matter expert on Continuous Improvement and provides training and development activities for cross-functional team members

• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, effectively influencing stakeholders at all organizational levels.

  Basic Required Qualifications : 

• Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree and 10 years of relevant experience, or a PhD and 8 years of relevant experience

• Experience with statistical and process capability analysis

• Proficient in industry standard methodologies and tools for Continuous Improvement (5S, kanban, value stream mapping, DMAIC, 8D, Shainin Red X)

• Experience in a design and manufacturing, or technology environment

• Lean Six Sigma certified

• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret Clearance

• U.S Citizenship Required

Preferred Qualifications:  

•   Lean Six Sigma certified, Green Belt preferred

•   Program Management Professional (PMP) certified

•   Experience with multiple industry quality standards (AS9100, AS9145, APQP, PPAP)

•   ERP or MES familiarity (SAP, Oracle, etc.)

•   Secret clearance 

Primary Level Salary Range: $169,000.00 - $253,600.00

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 http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.