Full-Time
Principal/Sr Principal Material Process Engineer
Northrop Grumman
10,001+ employees
Diversified defense and space systems integrator
Compensation Overview
$103.6k/yr
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
In Person
On-site in Santa Rosa, CA with ~10% travel.
US Citizenship Required
Bachelor's, Master's
 Process Engineering |
|---|
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- Bachelor’s of Science degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics and 5 years professional experience for Principal Engineer Material Process; related experience could include manufacturing, thin-film process engineering, RF/microwave modeling, process engineering, project engineering/management; Experience in Microsoft Office including Word, PowerPoint and Excel; Ability to work safely in environments where chemicals are present and to follow all required PPE and hazardous-material protocols; Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite) as well as Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable period of time
- Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics and 9 years of related professional/military engineering experience or Master’s Degree in STEM and 0 years of engineering experience for Sr Principal Engineer Material Process; Related experience could include manufacturing, thin-film process engineering, RF/microwave modeling, process engineering, project engineering/management; Experience in Microsoft Office including Word, PowerPoint and Excel; Ability to work safely in environments where chemicals are present and to follow all required PPE and hazardous-material protocols; Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite) as well as Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable period of time
- U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite for security clearance; ability to obtain and maintain Secret DoD security clearance and SAP; location Santa Rosa, CA; on-site; travel 10%
- Perform coating designs, tolerancing, analysis and process engineering for projects related to multiple technologies
- Apply, as well as design and develop new techniques and coatings to meet product needs
- Individually contribute to product development or program completion
- Run and debug deposition chambers
- Organize scheduling and testing of programs
- Ability to manage small projects and present technical content
- Devise and implement methods and procedures for inspecting, testing, and evaluating the precision and accuracy of products and production equipment
- Design and analyze inspection and testing processes, mechanisms, and equipment; conduct quality‑assurance tests; and perform statistical analysis to assess cost and determine responsibility for products or materials that do not meet required standards and specifications
- Work will be conducted in both an office and lab/manufacturing environment with possible exposure to chemicals
- Utilize required PPE (respirators, gloves, gowns, goggles, chemical fume hoods) and adhere to hazardous‑material handling protocols
- Experience in Project Management or leading teams
- Hands‑on experience with thin‑film processes and thin‑film modeling tools (e.g., TFCalc, OptiLayer, etc.)
- Working knowledge of statistical methods and data‑analysis techniques (e.g., DOE, SPC, regression analysis)
- Familiarity with thin‑film materials and characterization techniques (ellipsometry, profilometry, spectrophotometry, etc.)
- Experience modeling complex systems (e.g. RF/microwave modeling)
- Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to clearly present concepts, findings, and recommendations to multidisciplinary teams
- Excellent organizational and time‑management abilities; proven track record of meeting project milestones
- Strong background in electromagnetics, especially as it relates to photonic or coating applications
- Active Secret DoD Security clearance/Program access
Northrop Grumman designs and builds advanced aerospace and defense systems across aeronautics, space, mission systems, and electronic defense. It delivers complex, integrated platforms—aircraft, spacecraft, sensors, and software—through large national programs and long-term contracts. It differentiates itself by its long history of strategic acquisitions and breadth across air, sea, space, and cyber domains, enabling end-to-end solutions. Its goal is to strengthen national security and extend global reach by developing and fielding advanced capabilities such as stealth bombers, space systems, missiles, and cyber defenses while maintaining scale and a robust backlog.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Founded
1939
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- August 3, 2026 Pentagon deals give Northrop $3 billion to expand Patriot and THAAD output.
- Q2 2026 sales rose 5% to $10.9 billion, and management lifted full-year guidance.
- August 7, 2026 Lunar Infrastructure Demos broaden Northrop’s role beyond defense into NASA lunar power systems.
What critics are saying
- B-21 charges already compressed margins; another surprise before October 2026 would punish valuation.
- Waynesboro’s permit fight exposes environmental scrutiny, delaying the 315,000-square-foot plant and hiring.
- Sentinel remains a budget and execution trap; cancellation or restructuring would gut the growth story.
What makes Northrop Grumman unique
- Northrop Grumman’s July 21, 2026 backlog hit a record $105 billion.
- Melbourne’s August 3, 2026 campus expansion anchors sixth-generation aircraft engineering and secure labs.
- Northrop combines B-21, Sentinel, missile defense, and space infrastructure inside one prime contractor.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Relocation Assistance
Performance Bonus
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -2%2 year growth
↓ -2%Northrop Grumman has dedicated a new 300,000-square-foot engineering facility at Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Building 250 houses space for more than 1,200 engineers and features 17 secure laboratories dedicated to advanced aircraft design and development. The aerospace-defence contractor built the facility on 37.7 acres of airport-owned land. Construction continues at the site, with plans for 1,220 parking spaces initially and 678 additional spaces in a future phase. Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, said the facility "reinforces Melbourne as the epicenter of sixth-generation aircraft". The company's Melbourne campus now employs 5,000 people across 2 million square feet of facilities. The dedication event took place on 3 August and was closed to media.
Northrop Grumman demonstrates Lunar Infrastructure Demos as part of NASA lunar mission. Stephen Kuper 07 August 2026 Northrop Grumman is repurposing technologies originally developed for NASA's lunar Gateway program to build and demonstrate the critical infrastructure needed for humanity's first permanent base on the moon, marking another major step towards sustained operations beyond Earth. Northrop Grumman has unveiled a series of Lunar Infrastructure Demo (LID) missions designed to mature the technologies that will underpin NASA's planned Moon Base, accelerating the transition from short-duration lunar expeditions to a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. Rather than developing entirely new systems, the company will leverage technologies created for the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), adapting proven hardware and software to support long-term operations near the moon's south pole. Northrop Grumman's approach is intended to reduce development risk, shorten delivery timelines and lower overall program costs while advancing the infrastructure needed to sustain astronauts on the lunar surface. The demonstration program will validate key capabilities, including surface power generation and distribution, thermal management, autonomous operations, communications networks and hosted payload services. David Schiller, vice-president, civil space and sciences, Northrop Grumman, said: "As America embarks on the next chapter in human space exploration, our Lunar Infrastructure Demos will help turn the moon into a place where astronauts can stay, work and make discoveries that benefit humanity." Collectively, these systems will provide the essential infrastructure required for future habitats, scientific research and commercial activities while enabling crews to survive the extreme conditions of the lunar environment, including the two-week-long lunar night. The initiative forms part of NASA's broader Moon Base architecture, which is being developed through a phased approach combining robotic precursor missions, commercial cargo deliveries and progressively more capable surface infrastructure before astronauts begin extended stays on the moon. Beyond supporting scientific exploration, the technologies are expected to lay the foundations for an enduring cislunar economy, enabling commercial services, resource utilisation and technology development that will ultimately support future human missions to Mars. For Australia, the program highlights the rapidly evolving opportunities emerging within the global lunar economy. Australian companies are already contributing advanced robotics, autonomous systems, communications technologies and resource extraction expertise to international lunar programs, while the Australian Space Agency has identified lunar exploration as a strategic area for sovereign industry growth. "Our ready-to-fly, reliable HALO technologies allow NASA to move faster, putting in place robust infrastructure that can endure the lunar night and establish a strong blueprint for a future Moon Base," Schiller said. The emphasis on modular infrastructure, autonomous operations and commercial partnerships also mirrors Australia's own ambitions to develop high-value niche capabilities that integrate into allied space programs rather than compete across the entire space sector. As NASA and its international partners shift from proving they can return humans to the moon to establishing a permanent foothold there, attention is increasingly turning towards the infrastructure that will make continuous operations possible. Reliable power, communications, logistics and autonomous support systems are rapidly becoming as important as the rockets and spacecraft that deliver them. Northrop Grumman's Lunar Infrastructure Demo missions represent another important milestone in that transition, demonstrating how proven technologies can be adapted to create the resilient foundations of humanity's first permanent outpost beyond Earth. Want to see more stories from trusted news sources? Make Space Connect a preferred news source on Google.
Northrop Grumman: appoints Randy Sinclair as vice president, investor relations. FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Aug. 4, 2026 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has appointed Randy Sinclair vice president of investor relations, reporting to John Greene, corporate vice president and chief financial officer, effective August 10. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman, Sinclair spent more than a decade in strategy and finance leadership roles at the Chevron Corporation, most recently leading the company's investor relations program. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, holding a Bachelor of Science in Management from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Its pioneering solutions equip its customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve its customers' toughest problems, its employees define possible every day.
Northrop Grumman expands Melbourne campus to support next-gen aircraft programs. Northrop Grumman has added a new 300,000-square-foot (27,871-square-meter) engineering facility at its Melbourne campus in Florida, supporting next-generation aircraft programs. The facility expands the company's Melbourne campus, which spans 2 million square feet (185,806 square meters), employs about 5,000 people, and supports Northrop Grumman's next-generation aircraft design and development efforts. Accommodating more than 1,200 engineers and including 17 secure laboratories dedicated to advanced aircraft design, the Melbourne campus supports several programs, including the US Navy's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. "We're continuing to grow in Florida, turning years of investment and experience into real capabilities our warfighters need. This facility reinforces Melbourne as the epicenter of sixth-generation aircraft," said Tom Jones, corporate VP and President of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. Associated programs. The Melbourne, Florida campus focuses on designing, developing, and testing advanced crewed aircraft and battle management systems. Among its notable programs are the US Navy's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, which functions as the service's carrier-based airborne early warning and battle management aircraft. The campus also served as the primary digital engineering and design headquarters for the US Air Force's B-21 Raider stealth bomber program, whose physical assembly takes place in Northrop's Palmdale, California facility. The Melbourne campus joins several of Northrop Grumman's other Florida facilities, including its primary aircraft manufacturing and final assembly site in St. Augustine, the Apopka microelectronics manufacturing facility, and the Kennedy Space Center for space systems. As one of the leading contenders for the US Navy's sixth-generation F/A-XX fighter program, Northrop Grumman said it would leverage its Florida facilities if selected to develop the aircraft.
United States pumps more than $3 billion to boost production of Patriot and THAAD missiles August 3, 2026 The United States signed an agreement worth more than three billion dollars with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to increase the production capacity of components for the Patriot and THAAD interceptor systems, as pressure mounts on American weapons stockpiles due to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) and Northrop announced the deal on Monday, following last week's announcement of a contract with Lockheed Martin worth up to $58.6 billion to produce Patriot interceptor missiles. The United States has supplied its allies with large quantities of weapons, while ammunition has been used in the Iranian conflict, raising concerns about stocks of air defense and precision-guided munitions. The US Department of Defense announced in a statement on Monday that the framework agreement will allow a threefold increase in the production of Patriot missiles and a fourfold increase in THAAD systems. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, recently estimated that the US military has fewer than 1,000 Patriot missiles and fewer than 250 THAAD missiles, which are two major air defense systems. The military has used both systems extensively in the Middle East. Pentagon negotiators are pressing contractors to accelerate the implementation of initial production agreements reached earlier this year to increase missile production. Ukraine suffers from a chronic shortage of Patriot missile supplies, which remain the only weapon in its arsenal capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. The Pentagon said the agreement will provide a second source for Patriot solid rocket motors and increase the production of ignition safety devices. The United States has signed a similar framework agreement with RTX, the parent company of Raytheon, to increase the production of Tomahawk missiles from the current rate of about 60 missiles per year for the United States to 1,000 missiles per year. Discover more Television broadcast Political news