Mechanical Engineer - Additive Tank Product Design & Development Technical Lead - Level 5
How this pay compares
This posting states $161k–$241k a year. Open mechanical engineer jobs in California post a median of $158k a year, the middle half $130k–$180k, across 266 jobs that state their pay, so this one is above the middle half of what they post.
Mechanical engineers in California: pay by town and employer
About the job
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No CLEARANCE TYPE: None TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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’s Space Sector is seeking a Mechanical Engineer - Additive Tank Product Design & Development Technical Lead - Level 5 to join our Mission Enabling Products MEP Team. This position will be located in Commerce, CA . Northrop Grumman Mission Enabling Products (MEP) Business Unit designs, builds, and delivers space, defense and aviation-related systems to customers around the world.
Our main products include satellites and associated space components and services, launch vehicles and related propulsion systems, missile products, subsystems and defense electronics, precision weapons, armament systems, and advanced aerospace structures.
As the Lead for the additively manufactured tank and scalable product line, you will own the product technical baseline, including product-line requirements, architecture, design, analysis, interfaces, engineering definition, product-critical tooling requirements, verification, and product qualification.
You will lead through technical authority without direct reports and partners with manufacturing, design, analysis, M&P and Chief Engineer. ## Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following - Own and control product-line requirements, architecture, configurations, interfaces, design rules, verification methods, and the product technical baseline. - Lead mechanical design of tanks, domes, joints, supports, interfaces, and associated hardware. - Direct structural, thermal, pressure, fatigue, fracture, buckling, and other required analyses, including model validation and test correlation. - Own functional GD&T, datum architecture, tolerance stacks, critical characteristics, acceptance criteria, and engineering-definition release; obtain documented manufacturability and inspectability concurrence from the Additive Manufacturing Lead. - Review DFM/DFA assessments led by the Additive Manufacturing Lead and decide how recommendations are incorporated into the controlled product design. - Approve design allowables, criteria, and margins using process data and capability evidence supplied by the Additive Manufacturing Lead. - Own joint performance, geometry, interfaces, fits, and acceptance requirements; coordinate with the Additive Manufacturing Lead on joining-process development and qualification. - Define product-critical, assembly, handling, integration, and test-tooling requirements, including loads, interfaces, accuracy, and acceptance criteria.
Agree on tooling classification before work begins. - Define characteristics, tolerances, acceptance criteria, and verification closure; the Additive Manufacturing Lead owns manufacturing inspection methods and process controls. - Own product verification and qualification, including test articles, instrumentation, acceptance criteria, analysis-to-test correlation, and requirements closure. - Approve changes affecting requirements, form, fit, function, interfaces, design margins, or product qualification, and define the documented manufacturing envelope within which manufacturing changes may be controlled. - Lead integrated issue resolution when product performance or design risk is primary; require concurrence from the Additive Manufacturing Lead when both technical baselines are affected. - Recommend design maturity and engineering release.
Overall program authorization requires the separate manufacturing-readiness recommendation of the Additive Manufacturing Lead. - Mentor engineers and communicate product maturity, margins, risks, decisions, and recommendations to program leadership. ## Basic Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related STEM discipline with 12 years of relevant engineering experience; OR Master’s degree in a related STEM discipline with 10 years of relevant experience; or a PhD in a related STEM discipline with 8 years of relevant experience. - Demonstrated technical leadership of complex mechanical products from requirements through design, analysis, manufacturing, verification, and qualification. - Demonstrated experience with additive manufacturing or other advanced manufacturing methods and the ability to incorporate these into technical roadmaps. - Advanced experience with mechanical design, requirements development, engineering definition, GD&T, interface control, and tolerance analysis. - Experience directing structural and thermal analyses and using results to make product-level decisions. - Experience leading and influencing cross functional technical teams and effectively interfacing with customers and senior leadership. - Experience with pressure-containing, highly loaded, or similarly complex hardware. - Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, design reviews, verification planning, and technical-risk resolution without direct reporting authority. - Ability to obtain and maintain the required security clearance ## Preferred Qualifications - Experience with tanks, pressure vessels, propulsion hardware, or aerospace structures. - Experience designing metal additively manufactured hardware. - Knowledge of fatigue, fracture mechanics, damage tolerance, buckling, and pressure-system qualification. - Experience developing scalable product families or common product architectures. - Experience defining and overseeing tooling for assembly, handling, integration, and test. - Familiarity with machining, joining, inspection, additive-process qualification, CAD/PLM, requirements management, and configuration control. ## Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector?
Click the link below https://www.northropgrumman.com/space Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards #LosAngelesSpace #SpaceEngJobs #SpaceGNCJobs Primary Level Salary Range: $161,000.00 - $241,400.00 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 e
From Northrop Grumman's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
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About Northrop Grumman
Satellites, space telescopes, cargo spacecraft and rocket boosters, inside a defense prime.
Pay on its listings: 98% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
How it pays: Paid as an employee on Northrop Grumman's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).
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