2026 Associate Design Engineer or Design Engineer Dulles VA or Mclean VA

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

TRAVEL: No

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.

The East Engineering organization is seeking an entry-level Mechanical Design Engineer to perform mechanical design tasks on one or more spacecraft systems or subsystems.

The Mechanical Designer will work with other designers and engineers on Spacecraft Structures, Subsystems, Mechanisms, MGSE, or Proposals across the three business areas to develop and enhance critical technical capabilities that drive our businesses. Skills include, but not limited to, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Geometric Dimension and Tolerancing (GD&T), Engineering Drawings, and Design for Manufacturing.

This position will be required to be in-person on the Dulles, VA or Tysons, VA campus and work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.

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

• Design of Spacecraft Structures, Mechanisms, Antenna and Payload placement of mechanical hardware from concept through integration and test all based on customer driven requirements.

• Perform detailed design tasks using Creo Parametric Computer Aided Design (CAD) and other software tools to develop and document designs for manufacturing and ultimately assembly into spacecraft.

• Produce Mechanical drawings and Model Based Designs (MBD’s) using industry standard GD&T processes.

• Interface with Mechanical design and engineering teams to produce efficient and manufacturable spacecraft parts and assemblies.

• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications for an Associate Design Engineer :

This requisition may be filled at either a level 1 or a level 2.  Basic qualifications for a Design Engineer 1 is a Bachelor’s Degree. Basic qualifications for a Design Engineer 2 is a Master’s Degree.

A candidate, regardless of age and hiring source, must meet ALL of the below criteria. The candidate must:

• Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution.
• Experience with Creo Parametric Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and be able to describe basic functions and modules.
• Trained in using GD&T ANSI 14.5 and able to describe basic tolerancing usage.
• Be eligible to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite)
• Proficiency in Microsoft office suite.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelors, or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Engineering Design Technology, from an accredited institution.
• Understanding of or passionate about spacecraft layout and design.
• Training in the use of PTC Creo, GD&T standards for preparation of manufacturing documentation.
• Experience with MBD’s, Large Assembly management, Skeletons, piping and harness modules, 3D Printing, Design for Manufacturing, and hands-on hardware fabrication.
• Experience with other CAD or animation software such as SolidWorks or Blender
• Have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0 or higher

Salary ranges:

Level 1 Associate: 69,400.00  - 104,000.00

Level 2 Engineer : 83,400.00 - 125,200.00

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 U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.