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Sr Principal Mechanical Engineer

Northrop Grumman

Vandenberg AFB, CAFull-time$112–194K/yrSeen 4 days agoSeen in employer's feed 4 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$112–194K/yr
Location
Vandenberg AFB, CA
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

SAP Approval, requiredSecret clearance, required

Job overview

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems seeks a Sr. Principal Mechanical Engineer to serve as a Liaison Engineer for the NGDS SDS Sentinel Program. The role supports the MRB process, engineering dispositions for nonconformances, and coordination across disciplines and stakeholders. The position is located in Roy, Utah, with an alternate location at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, and may require occasional weekend support.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

MRB Engineering Process, requiredSAP, requiredNX, requiredVisPro, requiredTeamCenter, requiredMES, requiredMRB/LE Authority, nice to haveLegacy Liaison Engineering, nice to haveProduction Assembly, nice to haveModel Based Engineering, nice to haveCommunication, nice to haveLeadership, nice to haveProblem Solving, nice to haveIndustrial Construction, nice to haveCommercial/Government Construction, nice to haveCivil Engineering, nice to haveUFGS, nice to haveField Experience, nice to haveNAVCOM, nice to haveUSACE, nice to have

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Science or Equivalent, requiredMaster's Degree or Equivalent, requiredPhD or Equivalent, requiredSecret Security Clearance, requiredSAP Approval, requiredQCM-C Certification, nice to haveNorthrop Grumman MRB en Signature, nice to have

Benefits

Relocation Assistance
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match
Tuition Assistance
Paid Time Off

Full job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 50% 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 Defense Systems is seeking a Sr. Principal Mechanical Engineer. This position is located in Roy, UT with an alternat location of Vanderburg Space Force Base (VSFB), CA and will supporting the Sentinel program.

The selected candidate will fill the role of Liaison Engineer for NGDS SDS Sentinel Program.

What You’ll Get To Do:

Responsibilities include the following:

  • Liaison/MRB

  • Act as engineering authority for non-conformances

  • Perform timely dispositions for nonconforming parts, assemblies, and installations

  • Coordinate with a team of multiple disciplines/stakeholder groups to determine effective solutions to defects that are innovative, thorough, practical, and consistent with organization objectives

  • Working knowledge of subsystems (electrical, hydraulics, fuels, fluids and propulsion systems) installations, composite structures, & metallic structures

  • Maintain integrity of the Material Review Board (MRB) process and engineering authority

  • Manage/Lead complex issues through hands-on coordination with all departments and levels of leadership until completion

  • Knowledge of the tools (such as) SAP, NX, VisPro, TeamCenter, and MES

  • Weekend support may be required on occasion to support program efforts

  • This position will utilize your excellent communication, mentoring, interpersonal skills, and ability to interface with senior management, peers, and employees.

Basic Qualifications:

  • 8 Years with Bachelors in Science; 6 Years with Masters; 4 Years with PhD

  • Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with an ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business need

  • Experience with MRB engineering process

  • Knowledge of the tools (such as) SAP, NX, VisPro, TeamCenter, and MES

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Previous MRB/LE Authority for Engineering

  • Legacy Northrop Grumman AS Liaison Engineering experience with tools and processes

  • Experience working hands-on in a production assembly line environment

  • Experience with Model Based Engineering (MBE ) (3-D model engineering definition)

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, leadership, and problem solving abilities

  • Northrop Grumman MRB EN signature

  • Industrial construction experience

  • Commercial/Government Construction experience

  • Civil Experience

  • Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS)

  • Field experience

  • QCM-C cert

  • NAVCOM

  • USACE - US Army Corp of Engineers

As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman Space Systems, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including:

  • Medical, Dental & Vision coverage

  • 401k

  • Educational Assistance

  • Life Insurance

  • Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions

  • Paid Time Off

  • Health & Wellness Resources

  • Employee Discounts This positions standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off. This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.

Primary Level Salary Range: $111,700.00 - $193,900.00

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 7,635 open Mechanical Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$112–194K/yr
  • California median$129–180K/yr1,073 salary ranges
  • US median$107–160K/yr4,627 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $153K, is close to the California median midpoint ($154K) — in the middle half of Mechanical Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 1,334 open Mechanical Engineer jobs in California and 7,635 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 4 years of experience; Mechanical Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (6,365 postings).
Education
5,220 of the 7,635 open Mechanical Engineer jobs (68%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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