Principal Materials & Processes Engineer / Sr. Principal Materials & Processes Engineer

The Mission Enabling Products business unit, an organization within Northrop Grumman’s Payload and Ground Systems (PGS) division, is a leading designer, producer, and supplier of spacecraft components and subsystems that power and enable satellites of all classes.  The portfolio of products includes solar power systems, propulsion systems, bus structures, thermal control systems, deployable systems / antennas, optical and laser systems.   

The Integrated Thermal Systems Operating Unit is the world leader in two-phase thermal management of spacecraft and has more than 30 years of experience designing and manufacturing space-qualified products for various government, military, civil and commercial customers (Legacy Swales Aerospace).  We have the broadest portfolio of thermal solutions in the business and more flight heritage than any of our competitors.  We tackle the industry’s most challenging spacecraft thermal control problems and have the market differentiating capability of taking systems from concept, through design, thermal component fabrication, integration into honeycomb composite structure and through system level testing all on-site with no subcontractors. 

Capabilities include design, manufacture, testing and integration of complete two-phase thermal-control systems such as heat pipes (-260 C to +175 C); heat pipe radiators and structural equipment panels; two-phase-loop heat pipes (LHPs); deployable radiator assemblies; mechanically pumped single phase liquid cooling, phase-change thermal storage materials (PCM); multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets; cryogenic cooling applications; and integrated thermal composite structures. 

Our business is growing. We currently operate out of a stand-alone facility in Beltsville Maryland with plans to move to a new state of the art facility (currently under construction) in Hanover, Maryland in 2025.   

Job Duties: 

• Support the manufacturing development of two-phase thermal control systems. Adapts and applies new and existing M&P technologies to unique and highly variable products with some non-space applications. 

• Select and qualify materials and processes to meet mission requirements. Provide documentation required to support customer reviews and perform material design and drawing requirements review.  

• Develop testing requirements and procedures for innovative manufacturing techniques and verify compliance to requirements. 

• Conduct, oversee or supervise failure review boards and non-conformance investigations. Perform failure analysis and determine root cause and corrective action (RCCA).  

• Collaborate with manufacturing, machining, welding, and product engineers writing and reviewing manufacturing and processing instructions. 

• Support research and development of innovative thermal systems and products. 

• Write material and process specifications for internal and customer needs. 

• Support industry, internal and customer audits. 

• SME in welding, surface finishes (chromate conversion coating of aluminum surfaces, application of thermal control coatings onto spaceflight hardware), NDE, satellite panel fabrication, Optical Solar Reflector bonding, electroplating (nickel/gold), and contamination control. 

Basic Qualifications:

Principal Engineer:  5 years of direct mechanical/aerospace engineering experience with a Bachelor of Science degree within an applicable STEM discipline; 3 years of mechanical/aerospace engineering with a Masters' degree; 1 year of mechanical/aerospace engineering with a PhD.

Sr. Principal Engineer:  8 years of direct mechanical/aerospace engineering experience with a Bachelor of Science degree within an applicable STEM discipline; 6 years of mechanical/aerospace engineering with a Masters' degree; 4 years of mechanical/aerospace engineering with a PhD.   

• Education or experience must include material properties and manufacturing processes. 

• Fundamental understanding of thermal system designs. 

• Ability to obtain a security clearance.  

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Experience in welding, surface finishing, and NDI of metals 

• Experience with two phase thermal control systems 

• Experience with bonding and polymeric materials 

• Technical writing skills