Principal Engineer Quality

at Northrop Grumman

Record last updated: 5/30/2026 6:23:03 PM

Current Days Open
54
Reqs Seen
2
Current Min Salary
$148,300.00 (Yearly)
Current Max Salary
$148,300.00 (Yearly)
Historical Days Open
53
First Seen
2/15/2025
Lowest Min Salary Seen
$93,000.00 (Yearly)
4/8/2025
Highest Max Salary Seen
$148,300.00 (Yearly)
5/30/2026

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Full Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret 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 Northrop Grumman Defense Systems we are seeking an experienced Quality Engineer to support our Ammunition Operating Unit located in Plymouth, MN. This site develops and produces medium- and large-caliber ammunition as well as precision capabilities for direct and indirect fire systems. Leading the industry, this team successfully completes lifecycle support for medium-caliber cannons, develops miniature, precision strike weapons for airborne platforms, creates survivability solutions for soldiers and the next generation tactical ammunition for a variety of combat platforms Job Responsibilities: This position will provide Quality Engineering and Mission Assurance support to programs within the Large Caliber Tank Training Portfolio of the Ammunition Operating Unit. This may include production line support at multiple locations, supplier inspection and monitoring, identifying contractual Quality requirements, preparing quality program plans, inspection procedures and quality requirements flow-down, supplier process monitoring, application of quality tools, drawing reviews, customer interface/reports/submittals and reviewing product acceptance data. Travel: This position may require travel up to 25% of the time. Job Duties Ensure compliance to contract quality requirements and AS9100 / ISO9001 Quality System processes on development and production programs. Prepare documentation including: coding quality flow down requirements on requisitions for procuring material, documenting and maintaining incoming inspection procedures, and creation and maintenance of Contract Data Requirement List (CDRL) data requirements. Manage Contract Quality deliverable timeline requirements to ensure all contractually required Quality documentation is submitted on time. Provide expertise and guidance to program teams and suppliers on quality assurance, quality systems, tools, training, problem solving, statistical analysis and continuous improvement. Application of quality tools for analysis and improvement activities. Support and lead investigations between internal functions, suppliers (in conjunction with the Supplier Quality team) and customers. Provide assistance with technical diagnosis of root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions with resolution of customer complaints or field failures. Develop solutions as appropriate to eliminate the recurrence of the issue. Work with the Operations and Manufacturing Engineering teams to initiate effective containment, investigation, and countermeasure activities to prevent defect outflow both in-house and to Customers. Plan and implement quality activities including writing product inspection plans, initiating material review board actions, resolving nonconforming material issues, and facilitating corrective actions. Perform on-site monitoring of manufacturing lines and supplier production processes as needed. In conjunction with the Supplier Quality team, perform assessments of suppliers capabilities and conformance to their Quality System as needed. Review drawings for inspection capability and conformance Geometric Dimensions and Tolerances standards. Evaluate manufacturing methods and inspection capabilities used by suppliers. Provide quality input for evaluating manufacturing processes including inspection and determining key characteristics. Perform statistical analysis on product yield/SPC/key characteristics data. Report status on tasks to program management, quality management and customers. Review inspection and acceptance data to assess process capability and product compliance. Technical skills needed for success in the role: Excellent verbal and written communications skills with internal / external customers Efficient in computer skills Strong technical knowledge (mechanical manufacturing, tools, gages, calibration) Meticulous and thorough individual possessing high attention to detail Driven self-starter with high initiative and motivated self-learner Experienced with Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) / Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) Required Qualifications: Bachelor of Science degree in STEM discipline 5 years of experience as quality engineer; or masters degree plus 3 yrs of quality engineer experience Experience in a Manufacturing environment. Experience with inspection equipment, techniques and general knowledge of Metrology and Calibration Understanding of Drawings and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) Experience with using Quality Tools (Statistics, DOE, FMEA, MSA) Experience in a highly-regulated environment Willingness to travel domestically as required (sometimes on short notice) S Citizenship is required Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance Preferred Qualifications: Manufacturing experience with metals and electronics production. Six Sigma Green or Black Belt formal certification Experience in a Defense contract environment Familiarity with AS9100 Quality Management Systems. ASQ Quality Engineer Certification (CQE) or equivalent Experience with TIPQA Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00 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. Existing Applicants: Need to update your contact information or email address? Once logged in, click on Candidate Home in the upper right corner and scroll to the bottom of that screen to see buttons for: Update Contact information to update your legal name, address, and phone number Edit Account Settings to edit your email address We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.

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