Manufacturing Engineer – Process Center Lead Harnessing & Soldering - Level 2

About this role

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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.

Join Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and start contributing to our team of passionate professionals providing real-life solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. We take pride in creating purposeful work and allowing our employees to grow and achieve their goals every day by Defining Possible. With our competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, we have the right opportunities to fit your life and launch your career today.

The Deployables operating Unit of Northrop Grumman's Intelligence Systems Division is currently seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to work with our production team in our Goleta/Oxnard facilities. The Manufacturing Engineer / Process Center Lead for Harnessing & Soldering is the technical owner and subject-matter expert for flight harness assemblies and associated soldering processes. This role is responsible for developing, implementing, and continuously improving manufacturing processes, owning workmanship standards for the harnessing cell, and leading a common work center that supports multiple programs. The Process Center Lead directs a team of harnessing technicians to meet safety, quality, cost, and schedule objectives in a high-reliability flight hardware environment.  

This position will be located in Goleta, CA .

Responsibilities:   

Manufacturing Process & Design Support    

• Review and develop design, manufacturing processes, procedures, and production layouts for flight harness assemblies.   

• Partner with design engineering on harness concepts, specification requirements, design-for-manufacturability (DFM), and optimal use of equipment and manufacturing techniques.  

• Ensure manufacturing processes and procedures comply with applicable regulations, customer requirements, and industry standards (e.g., IPC, NASA workmanship standards).   

• Incorporate inspection and test requirements into production plans as needed , including test coverage, verification methods and acceptance criteria .  

Work Center Layout , Ownership   & Optimization    

• Own the layout and configuration   of the harnessing work center .   Design and optimize the arrangement of personnel, machines, tools, and processes within the harnessing work center to maximize efficiency, throughput, and product quality.   

• Inspect performance of employee processes, equipment, and tools to verify efficiency and conformance to standards.   

• Investigate root causes and   implement   corrective actions for process problems and deficiencies.  

• Champion 5S, standard work, and visual controls within the harnessing cell.  

Workmanship Standards & Training    

• Serve as a certified instructor in IPC-J-STD-001 Joint Industry Standard for soldering.   

• Serve as a certified instructor in NASA 8739.4 Workmanship Standard for Crimping, Interconnecting Cables, Harnesses, and Wiring; capable of training technicians and quality personnel for certification.   

• Serve as a certified instructor in NASA 8739.1 Polymeric Application on Electronic Assemblies.   

• Provide training, coaching, and certification support to technicians and quality personnel to maintain high workmanship standards across programs.  

Continuous Improvement &   Data Driven Process Control    

• Develop manufacturing processes that are applicable to statistical process control (SPC) . D evelop and implement SPC techniques and control plans for critical harnessing processes.  

• Analyze process , yield,   and test data; recommend modifications to components, tooling, or test procedures to meet desired specifications and industry standards.   

• Support prototype and development activities, including devising, fabricating, and assembling new or modified   electrical   components or assemblies, and setting up and testing prototype units and subassemblies under operational conditions.  

• Identify and drive continuous improvement opportunities (cycle time, first-pass yield, scrap/rework reduction, ergonomics)  

Technical Hands-On Duties & Team Leadership    

• Perform more than one of the following duties as required: mechanical technician, engineering technician, electronic technician, flight test technician, and/or general technician duties.   

• Lead a team of approximately 5–10 harnessing technicians; set priorities, assign work, and ensure adherence to safety, quality, and schedule commitments.   Model best practices on the shop floor.   

• Provide technical direction and day ‑ to ‑ day guidance to lower ‑ level employees (non ‑ exempt and exempt) with minimal supervision.  

• Support staffing, skills development, and cross-training plans for the harnessing cell.   

Job Characteristics   

• Knowledge:    

Advanced technical knowledge in specialized harnessing and soldering functions. Demonstrated broad and deep understanding of both general and specific aspects of manufacturing engineering and their practical application to comp

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