Engineering Manager 3 – Commerce Propulsion Tanks

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 invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As 

Engineering Manager – Commerce Propulsion Tanks

, you will lead the multidiscipline engineering organization responsible for designing, analyzing, testing, and supporting propulsion tanks produced at our Commerce, CA site.

You will manage a team of 

14+ engineers and technical staff

 (structural analysis, materials & processes, test engineering, mechanical design, tooling, a test technician, and the Chief Engineer). You will ensure the team has the 

people, tools, skills, and culture

 needed to support current programs and execute the propulsion tank technology roadmap. This role reports to the 

Director, Western Region Vehicle Engineering – Propulsion and Structures

.

The ideal candidate is a 

positive, visible leader

 with strong engineering management experience who can improve morale, develop talent, and build an engaged, high

performing team.

The Engineering Manager is accountable for the 

performance and health of the Commerce propulsion tank engineering organization

, including:

• Providing engineering leadership to a multidiscipline team

   of structural analysis, M&P, mechanical design, tooling, and test personnel.

   

• Owning people leadership, staffing, development, and engagement.

   

• Ensuring engineering processes, tools, and skills support cost, schedule, and quality commitments, and leading continuous improvement initiatives

   focused on process effectiveness, design and analysis rigor, and manufacturability of propulsion tanks.

   

• Collaborating with senior technical leaders to enable execution of the propulsion tank technical roadmap and adoption of

  new technologies.

   

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

People Leadership & Culture 

• Lead the Commerce propulsion tank engineering team (structural analysis, M&P, mechanical, tooling, test, and Chief Engineer).

   

• Own 

  hiring, staffing, performance management, and development plans

   for the engineering team; share day

  to

  today

  technical coaching with senior technical leaders. 

• Foster a 

  positive, inclusive, hightrust culture

   in a small

  team, with a focus on improving 

  morale and psychological safety

  .

   

• Model Northrop Grumman’s leadership behaviors: set

  a clear vision

  , build a

  high

  performing

  team, take ownership, lead with courage, respond with resilience, and act with speed. 

• Lead the team through

  significant change

  , setting clear priorities, communicating transparently, and helping engineers navigate shifting demands while

  maintaining

  engagement and focus.

• Implement succession and talent development plans, ensuring engineers are growing in technical depth and leadership capability.

   

• Identify

  and develop technical and team leads

   within the organization, building a sustainable leadership bench and reducing

  single

  point

  dependencies. 

• Promote knowledge sharing, mentoring, and best

  practice adoption across analysis, M&P, test, mechanical, and tooling disciplines. 

Engineering Operations & Execution 

• Establish and

  maintain

  a highly effective engineering organization

   capable of supporting propulsion tank programs across multiple locations, divisions, and customers.

   

• Ensure the team is equipped with the 

  training, tools, and staffing

   needed to meet cost, schedule, and quality commitments across programs and IRAD/CRAD.

   

• Manage the engineering budget and headcount plan;

  optimize

  utilization

  and staffing across programs and IRAD/CRAD efforts. 

• Work with Program Management and Operations to 

  manage engineering workload and priorities

  , balancing urgent needs with long

  term health of the team and avoiding unsustainable fire

  drill cycles. 

• Develop, implement, and

  maintain

  disciplinespecific processes and tools

   for structural analysis, M&P, test, mechanical design, and tooling, in alignment with sector and functional standards.

   

• Define and monitor 

  metrics for engineering efficiency, quality, and ontime performance

  , and drive continuous improvement in affordability, knowledge management, and engineering

  utilization.

   

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives within the engineering organization

  , including refinements to design and analysis practices, test and verification approaches,

  processes

  and procedures

  ,

  configuration management, and collaboration with Operations and Quality to improve manufacturability and yields.

• Champion a strong 

  quality andmission

  assurance

  mindset

   within the engineering team, ensuring design and analysis decisions reflect safety, reliability, and customer expectations.

• Identify

  organizational gaps and proactively forecast potential challenges to program execution; lead root cause and corrective actions that address systemic issues in staffing, process, or coordination. 

• Build strong partnerships with Program Management, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and other leaders to ensure seamless coordination and delivery.

   

Collaboration & Technology Roadmap 

• Work closely with senior technical leaders to ensure the engineering organization can effectively 

  execute the propulsion tank technical roadmap

  .

• Align staffing, skill development, and process changes to support adoption of 

  additive manufacturing and other advanced manufacturing methods

   defined in that roadmap.

   

• Ensure engineering processes, tools, and training keep pace with evolving 

  propulsion tank architectures

   (e.g., PMD designs, COPVs, diaphragm tanks) and material/forging constraints.

   

• Support

   major technical reviews, investigations, and non

  conformance resolution by ensuring the right resources, coordination, and

  cross

  functional

  participation are in place. 

• Connect the Commerce engineering team with 

  broader Northrop Grumman communities of practice

  , training resources, and

  best

  practice

  networks to accelerate learning and adoption of proven approaches. 

• Participate in customer and leadership meetings focused on 

  commitments, staffing, and organizational readiness

  , while senior technical leaders lead detailed technical content.

   

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science

  , Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) from an accredited university with 8+

  years

  of experience in mechanical, structural, or related engineering disciplines, including aerospace, space, or other mission

  critical hardware domains. 

• Prior 

  engineering leadership experience

   (e.g., team lead, functional manager, department manager) with responsibility for people leadership and organizational performance, supporting 

  multidisciplineengineering teams

   in a hardware

  centric environment.

• Experience leading engineering organizations that support 

  additive manufacturing or other advanced manufacturing methods

  .

• Ability to 

  improve team morale and performance

  , build engagement, and foster an inclusive, collaborative culture.

   

• Experience with engineering processes and metrics related to staffing,

  utilization

  , quality, and on

  time delivery. 

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and partner effectively with Program Management, Operations, Quality, and senior leadership.

   

• Ability to obtain and

  maintain

  a U.S. Government security clearance. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Materials Engineering or related STEM field with 12 years of experience; OR Master’s degree in Mechanical

  , Aerospace, Materials Engineering, or related STEM field with 10 years of experience

• Experience with 

  propulsion tanks, pressure vessels, or related structural hardware

  , including familiarity with PMDs, COPVs, diaphragm tanks, or forging constraints.

   

• Prior leadership experience in a site or value

  stream context with a clear 

  turnaround or growth mandate

  .

• Experience defining and implementing engineering process improvements, common toolsets, and

  knowledge

  management

  practices across teams and locations. 

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

Primary Level Salary Range: $175,400.00 - $263,200.00

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.

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.