
Principal Propulsion Engineer - Elkton MD
Elkton, MDJob$109–163K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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Job overview
Northrop Grumman seeks a Principal Propulsion Engineer for its Elkton, Maryland facility, working at Principal Engineer level 3 in the High-Speed Tactical Boosters group on solid rocket motors. The role involves designing and analyzing propulsion systems and components, collaborating with customers and interdisciplinary teams, and supporting builds and testing. Candidates need a STEM bachelor’s degree and qualifying experience, with alternative master’s or PhD paths; U.S. citizenship is required.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
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Full job description
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
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 Propulsion Systems and Controls (PS&C) facility in Elkton, Maryland began solid-propellant rocket motor (SRM) operations in 1948. Today, the Elkton PS&C facility designs, develops, and produces solid-propellant propulsion, ordnance and motion controls systems in programs professionally managed for a wide variety of Government and commercial customers. The facility also serves as the hub for offsite engineering and test facilities in Ronkonkoma, NY and Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Elkton, Maryland is located on the Upper Chesapeake Bay, midway between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Discover charming small towns, parks with miles of trails, specialty and antique shops, award winning restaurants, and inns. You can hike, bike, camp, bird watch, ride horseback, or drop a fishing line. Five rivers, Chesapeake Bay and the C&D Canal can be explored by boat or by land. Experience panoramic views from Turkey Point Lighthouse on a bluff overlooking the Bay, or from the banks of the C&D Canal where ships from around the globe cruise. https://www.ccgov.org/government/tourism
Northrop Grumman is in need of an experienced Principal Propulsion Engineer to work at its Elkton, Maryland facility. The position will be hired into as a Principal Engineer level 3 into the High-Speed Tactical Boosters (HSTB) group working on solid rocket motors.
Job Responsibilities:
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Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to meet program milestones and customer expectations, with the opportunity to step in to leadership roles and guide the program team
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Work directly with customers to understand requirements and design drivers
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Coordinate a multi‑disciplinary strategy for design, optimization, and analysis to meet mission requirements
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Design SRM assemblies / components (such as cases, nozzles, and propellant grains) with a focus on safety and program requirements
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Complete high‑level performance and sizing calculations on SRM components and assemblies
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Apply engineering principles, industry and company standards, and customer requirements to develop solid‑propellant propulsion systems for launch vehicles, missile systems, and/or space missions
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Produce detailed drawings for component fabrication
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Assist with SRM builds, test execution, and data reduction
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Support testing activities needed to validate designs
Basic Requirements:
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Must have a bachelors degree in STEM and at least 5 years of experience. Will consider those with a Masters degree and 3 years of experience or a PhD and 1 year of experience.
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Must be a US citizen.
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Must be able to obtain a DoD Secret Clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
Familiarity with:
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Rocketry, Solid Rocket Motors, Aerospace Propulsion Systems, Missiles, Flight Vehicles, and/or Energetics
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Siemens NX and Teamcenter, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
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Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or Aeronautical Engineering
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Engineering Design Principles
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Multi-disciplinary Teamwork
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Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), ASME Y14.5-2009, Design for Assembly / Manufacturing (DFA/DFM)
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Microsoft Office Suite of products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.)
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Active DoD Secret Clearance
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This position falls under a Federal Explosives License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for this location. Candidates hired into this role will be required to complete and submit an Employee Possessor Questionnaire to ATF for approval to be a possessor.
Primary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $163,200.00
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.
Job Category: Engineering
How this job compares
Set against the 728 open Aerospace Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 15, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$109–163K/yr
- US median$115–175K/yr534 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $136K, is 7% below the US median midpoint ($146K) — in the middle half of Aerospace Engineer salary ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 23 open Aerospace Engineer jobs in Maryland and 728 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Maryland
- Rocket Lab5 open
- Actalent3 open
- Quantum Space3 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Aerospace Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 633 postings).
- Education
- 392 of the 728 open Aerospace Engineer jobs (54%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 15, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.
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