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Principal/Sr. Principal Research and Development Engineer Level 3/4

Northrop Grumman
UTCLH5, United States, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 20 Oct 2025
💰 $178,000/yr($95,300/yr$178,000/yr)

About the role

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

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/Sr. Principal Research and Development Engineer Level 3/4 to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be in Clearfield, UT. Our Research and Development team works to support process development and automation of composite aerospace structures. We engineer the latest composite structures for military/commercial aircraft and launch structures and are leaders in next-generation composite development. We operate as principal investigators over Internal Research and Development (IRAD), Process Service (PS), and Customer Research and Development (CRAD) projects and production support, with responsible technical development as well as management of schedules and budgets. Would you like to work on the cutting edge of aerospace? Come join our team!

We work 9/80 work week, which gives us every other Friday off to pursue passions outside the office. Travel varies with each project, but typically for a Principal/Sr. Principal Engineer will travel 10%, and primarily within the continental US. We work with our team to try and allocate travel responsibilities to those who are able and enjoy travel. Northrop Grumman offers a full suite of benefits to our employees.

Responsibilities:

  • Develop processes and optimize material solutions for pilot scale fabrication of complex composite materials. Plan and execute the transition to production scale manufacturing and assist in defining equipment and floor plan needs.
  • Develop new material systems that are amenable to additive manufacturing, fiber placement and other automated composite fabrication techniques.
  • Solve technical issues using root cause methodologies based on underlying scientific principals and an understanding of chemical processes
  • Identify and develop technical solutions that meet IRAD and Process Service project goals
  • Provide technical decisions and recommendations based on data and project outcomes
  • Lead development efforts to reduce cost, increase process efficiency, and ensure consistent quality in support of current and future programs
  • Work with internal and external partners to champion and ensure success of R&D projects
  • Act as principal investigator on selected new proposals and projects
  • Manage execution of the project requirements to cost and schedule objectives
  • Foster an environment of cooperation and teamwork within the Process and Technology Development team

This role may be filled at a Principal or Sr. Principal Research & Development Engineer level 3/4 depending on the qualifications below.

Basic Qualifications:

Principal Research & Development Engineer Level 3:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) and 4 years of engineering experience or Masters in a STEM field and 3 years of engineering experience
  • Material and Process Engineering experience in composite material
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Clearance
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Program Access (PAR)

Sr. Principal Research & Development Engineer Level 4:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) and 8 years of engineering experience; or Masters in a STEM field with 6 years of engineering experience
  • Material and Process Engineering experience in composite material
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Clearance
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Program Access (PAR)

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Aerospace composite machining methods
  • Active, In scope DoD Secret clearance
  • Proficiency with geometric

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Company

Northrop Grumman

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