Quality Engineer

Position Summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Principal Quality Engineer to join the Mission Systems team in Baltimore, MD. In this role, you will design, implement, and maintain quality evaluation systems, lead nonconformance resolutions and audits, and collaborate across engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure products meet exact quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, and maintain evaluation systems for processing raw materials into finished products.
• Devise and implement inspection/testing procedures; conduct audits (Cell Audits, PCAB) for deficiency identification and corrective actions.
• Lead root cause failure investigations, implement robust Corrective Action Plans, and resolve technical nonconformances.
• Work with manufacturing, engineering, and suppliers using engineering drawings, blueprints, and checklists to meet quality standards.
• Utilize Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to minimize defect rates and streamline workflows across cell operations.

Basic Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor of Science in STEM + 5+ years of relevant experience (Quality, Manufacturing, Process, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering); OR Master’s Degree in STEM + 3+ years of relevant experience; OR PhD in STEM + 1+ year of relevant experience.
• Technical Skills: Experience with data analytics and statistical analysis techniques.
• Clearance & Citizenship: U.S. Citizenship required with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active DoD Secret Clearance.
• Certified in Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt / Black Belt) or as a Certified Quality Auditor.
• Experience with ISO9001, AS9100 Quality Management Systems, and AS9102 First Article Inspections (FAI).
• Familiarity with industry standards (IPC, J-Std, MIL-STD) and Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) facilitation.
• Hands-on experience with SAP, Microsoft Excel, Minitab, Power BI, or SQL.