Principal/Mission Assurance Engineer (Level 2/3)

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Principal/Mission Assurance Engineer (Level 2/3) to join our Launch Vehicles team in Chandler, AZ.

The successful candidate will:

• Develop and implement supplier quality standards to ensure compliance with company and industry regulations.

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action processes for supplier-related quality issues.

• Establish and maintain strong, productive relationships with key suppliers, fostering a collaborative approach to continuous quality improvement.

• Conduct supplier audits, assessments, and performance reviews to drive adherence to quality standards.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Engineering, Manufacturing, and Procurement, to identify quality risks and support product development and manufacturing.

• Utilize data-driven analysis to identify trends in supplier quality issues and implement strategic improvements.

• Mentor and guide other members of the quality engineering team to enhance their skills in supplier quality management.

• Develop and present supplier quality metrics and performance reports to senior leadership.

• Facilitate Hardware Acceptance Reviews with direct customers and program representatives at supplier sites.

• Process Non-Conformance reports from initiation to closure, including facilitating and collaborating with suppliers and engineering to complete dispositions, failure analysis, and root cause and corrective actions. 

• Review End Item Data Packet documentations to ensure compliance to required contract deliverables.

• Assist identifying required Quality Provision flow downs to suppliers based on commodity and customer requirements. 

• Review technical documents such as assembly drawings, Acceptance and Qualification Test Procedures, technical manuals, and work instructions. 

• Devise and implement methods and procedures for inspecting, testing and evaluating the precision and accuracy of products and production equipment.

This position may be filled as a Mission Assurance Engineer (Level 2) or a Principal Mission Assurance Engineer (Level 3)

You’ll Bring These Qualifications:

Mission Assurance Engineer (Level 2):  Bachelor of Science in Engineering +2 years of relevant experience OR Master’s Degree + 0 years of experience

OR

Principal Mission Assurance Engineer (Level 3): Bachelor of Science in Engineering +5 years of relevant experience; Master’s Degree + 3 years of experience; PhD + 0 years of experience

Required for both levels:

• Experience working with TipQa, MES, CostPoint or similar software

• Experience investigating failures and identifying root cause on flight hardware.

• Proven problem-solving skills, with experience in root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action processes, and data analysis.

• Experience with industry standards and regulations, such as ISO 9001, AS9100, or TS16949

• Proficiency in quality tools such as Six Sigma, FMEA, SPC, and Lean Manufacturing principles

• Demonstrated ability to work without oversight in a multi-discipline environment, providing insight and solutions to complicated issues both technical and procedural

• Solid written and verbal interpersonal, communication skills and confidence to brief senior management with solid foundation in Mission/Quality Assurance applications.

• Ability to coordinate customer communications across multiple, diverse sites 

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate quality issues effectively with suppliers and cross-functional teams.

• Ability to travel to supplier sites as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Northrop Grumman's manufacturing process.

• Certified in Lean and Six-Sigma methodologies

• Certification in Quality Engineering (CQE) or Supplier Quality (CSQP) is a plus.

• Experience with ERP systems and data analysis tools (e.g., SAP, Minitab)

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.