2026 Principal Propellant Materials and Process Engineer - Utah

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

TRAVEL: No

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 seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Principal Propellant Materials and Process Engineer to join our team in Promontory, Clearfield, or Bacchus, Utah.

The qualified candidate will become part of Northrop Grumman’s Central Propulsion Engineering business group.

In this role, you will be responsible for supporting all aspects of propellant process development and manufacturing, including assisting propellant casting campaigns, writing and maintaining specifications, and performing data analysis to ensure process excellence. This position requires a proactive approach, strong time management skills, and a collaborative mindset, as you will work cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and leadership teams to solve challenging problems and drive continuous improvement. 

Key Responsibilities

- Support propellant casting campaigns, ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and performance standards. 

- Author and maintain specifications, shop floor planning, and related engineering documentation. 

- Perform data collection, analysis, and interpretation using tools such as Excel, VBA, or Python to identify trends and improve understanding of process behavior. 

- Support root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions to address manufacturing defects. 

- Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to develop and continuously improve propellant manufacturing processes. 

- Troubleshoot and resolve challenges related to processing, tooling, and facilities, and implement effective solutions. 

- Participate in the design, checkout, qualification, and implementation of new or modified tooling, equipment, and processes. 

- Create technical reports and presentations to communicate findings and proposals to leadership, customers, and internal teams. 

- Perform tabletop reviews with manufacturing operations teams to validate process plans and outcomes. 

Basic Qualifications: 

A candidate must meet ALL of the below criteria. The candidate must:

• Be completing or has completed their PhD degree from an accredited institution
• Be majoring in or having majored in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or related STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) degree
• Be able to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite)

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience using programming languages such as VBA or Python for data analysis (preferred). 
• Exposure to writing and updating shop floor plans or production documentation.  
• Knowledge of process validation and qualification practices.  
• Experience conducting process troubleshooting and implementing process improvements.  

Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00

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.