RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time
DescriptionWe’re looking for a Tooling Engineer – Energetics Manufacturing (Level 2 or 3) to join our Operations Engineering team at our Propulsion Systems & Controls (PS&C) facility in Elkton, Maryland.
Here you’ll:
- hands-on with the tooling and hardware that support our propulsion and ordnance systems—while applying strong technical rigor and formal safety standards every step of the way.
- Collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, test, and quality
- Be part of a culture that values curiosity, diverse perspectives, and bringing your whole self to work
Our Elkton PS&C facility designs, develops, and produces solid-propellant propulsion and ordnance systems for a wide range of Government and commercial customers. Elkton is also the engineering hub for our offsite facilities in Ronkonkoma, NY and Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Why Elkton?
Elkton, Maryland sits on the Upper Chesapeake Bay, roughly midway between Philadelphia and Baltimore. It offers:
- Parks, trails, and water access for hiking, biking, camping, boating, and fishing
If you like the idea of leaving a high-impact engineering role and being on a trail or near the water in minutes, Elkton is a great fit.
What You’ll Do
You’ll own the engineering and design of production tooling for energetic aerospace propulsion systems, including:
- Hands-on design, deployment, and support of molds, lifting devices, handling fixtures, test fixtures, and other production tools used with energetic components and assemblies
- Translating requirements into build-ready tooling using CAD and 3D modeling, then walking those designs into the shop to review manufacturability, ergonomics, and safety with the operations team
- Working closely with project engineering, process engineering, manufacturing, quality, and safety to:
- Define tooling requirements and operating envelopes
- Ensure designs comply with Hazardous Operations Procedures (HOPS) and other safety standards
- Incorporate hazard analyses, interlocks, guarding, and human-factors considerations into tooling concepts and final designs
- Coordinating tooling fabrication with internal machine shops and external vendors:
- Developing detailed drawings/models and technical packages
- Establishing fabrication scope and acceptance criteria
- Monitoring build progress against plan and resolving technical or safety-related issues
- Supporting tool introduction to production:
- Participating in tool checkout and first-article use on the floor
- Verifying that tool performance aligns with design intent, HOPS requirements, and safety / quality expectations
- Leading or supporting root-cause and corrective-action efforts when tooling or usage issues occur
- Preparing tooling design and fabrication cost/schedule estimates for proposals, with clear technical and safety assumptions
- Identifying and implementing improvements to existing tooling designs focused on:
- Safety and compliance with HOPS
- Human factors and ergonomics
- Throughput, maintainability, and reliability
Level of hire (2 or 3) will depend on your skills, experience, education, and demonstrated competency.
Basic Qualifications – Level 2
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and at least 2 years of relevant experience (preferably design)
- OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 0 years of experience
- U.S. Citizenship required with the ability to obtain a Secret clearance
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or closely related discipline
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated success in a team environment
- Familiarity with machine shop fabrication practices and material selection
- Working knowledge of basic stress calculations for support structures
- Working knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (ASME Y14.5M)
- Proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, Word, CAD, and 3D modeling tools
- Composites and rubber molding experience is a plus
Basic Qualifications – Level 3
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and at least 5 years of relevant experience (preferably design)
- OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and at least 3 years of experience
- U.S. Citizenship required with the ability to obtain a Secret clearance
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or closely related discipline
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated success in a team environment
- Familiarity with machine shop fabrication practices and material selection
- Working knowledge of basic stress calculations for support structures
- Experience working within a product or integrated project team, managing events and timelines
- Working knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (ASME Y14.5M)
- Proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, Word, CAD, and 3D modeling tools
- Composites and rubber molding experience is a plus
Preferred Qualifications (Both Levels)
- Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter (TcUA)
- Prior manufacturing or production floor experience
This position falls under a Federal Explosives License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for this location. Candidates hired into this role will be required to complete and submit an Employee Possessor Questionnaire to ATF for approval to be a possessor.
Primary Level Salary Range: $87,600.00 - $131,400.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $163,200.00
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 extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
