Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Jobs
Principal Mechanical Design Engineer jobs are open across aerospace, defense, medical devices, and industrial automation, at levels from senior to staff and principal, with specializations in mechanisms design, thermal systems, and precision assemblies. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 31+ Principal Mechanical Design Engineer jobs
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 Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission!
We are looking for you to join our team as a Mechanical Design Engineer based out of Woodland Hills, CA or Salt Lake City, UT. As a Mechanical Design Engineer at Northrop Grumman, you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of model-based engineering and agile practices, we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team-oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning, and a culture of automation.
This position will support senior mechanical engineers in the design of military avionics including inertial navigation and measurement systems and mission computers for the Sentinel program. This position is not eligible for remote work. This position will be 100% on-site at either our Woodland Hills, Ca or Salt lake City, Ut facility. This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.
Responsibilities:
- Primary role is to serve as a mechanical designer on a major Northrop Grumman Mission Systems program supporting inertial navigation systems
- Research, plan, design, and develop CAD models and 3D model based drawings using Siemens NX and Teamcenter
- Support all phases of the design lifecycle including modeling, drawings, procurement, test, and maintenance
- Preparation and presentation of reports, briefings, design documents (drawings and specifications)
- Support for engineering changes and problem reports
- Support for root cause analysis and quick resolution of manufacturing line stops and other critical production activities
- Collaborative work with other engineering organizations, program management, factory operations, global supply chain and mission assurance
This requisition may be filled at a Principal or Senior Principal Mechanical Design Engineer based on the qualifications below.
Basic Qualifications for a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer:
- Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) discipline with five or more years applicable experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline with three or more years applicable experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline with 1 year of applicable experience
- Expertise with mechanical CAD software (Siemens NX preferred)
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), drawing creation, tolerance stack-up analysis, etc.
- Good presentation and writing/communication skills
- Experience mentoring junior level engineers
- Must have an Active US Government Secret or higher clearance with US Citizenship
Basic Qualifications for a Senior Principal Mechanical Design Engineer:
- Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) discipline with eight or more years applicable experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline with six or more years applicable experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline with four years of applicable experience
- Expertise with mechanical CAD software (Siemens NX preferred)
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), drawing creation, tolerance stack-up analysis, etc.
- Good presentation and writing/communication skills
- Experience mentoring junior level engineers
- Must have an Active US Government Secret or higher clearance with US Citizenship
Preferred Qualifications for a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer:
- Demonstrated proficiency with Siemens NX CAD software and Teamcenter PLM software
- Expert-level proficiency with GD&T per ASME Y14.5
- Familiarity with ASME and MIL standards
- Basic understanding of stress principles and component sizing
- Engineering lab experience including leak rate and vibration testing
- Knowledge of CCA components, layout, and cable routing
- Demonstrated high degree of creativity and ability to solve a wide range of difficult problems
- Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated, willing to learn, experience working in a team environment
- Competence and confidence working under pressure on requests with short turn-around times
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical information clearly
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on continuous improvement
- Must be proactive and results-oriented, with a strong sense of ownership
Primary Level Salary Range: $0.00 - $0.00 Secondary Level Salary Range: $0.00 - $0.00 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.
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 Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission!
We are looking for you to join our team as a Mechanical Design Engineer based out of Woodland Hills, CA or Salt Lake City, UT. As a Mechanical Design Engineer at Northrop Grumman, you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of model-based engineering and agile practices, we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team-oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning, and a culture of automation.
This position will support senior mechanical engineers in the design of military avionics including inertial navigation and measurement systems and mission computers for the Sentinel program. This position is not eligible for remote work. This position will be 100% on-site at either our Woodland Hills, Ca or Salt lake City, Ut facility. This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.
Responsibilities:
- Primary role is to serve as a mechanical designer on a major Northrop Grumman Mission Systems program supporting inertial navigation systems
- Research, plan, design, and develop CAD models and 3D model based drawings using Siemens NX and Teamcenter
- Support all phases of the design lifecycle including modeling, drawings, procurement, test, and maintenance
- Preparation and presentation of reports, briefings, design documents (drawings and specifications)
- Support for engineering changes and problem reports
- Support for root cause analysis and quick resolution of manufacturing line stops and other critical production activities
- Collaborative work with other engineering organizations, program management, factory operations, global supply chain and mission assurance
This requisition may be filled at a Principal or Senior Principal Mechanical Design Engineer based on the qualifications below.
Basic Qualifications for a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer:
- Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) discipline with five or more years applicable experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline with three or more years applicable experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline with 1 year of applicable experience
- Expertise with mechanical CAD software (Siemens NX preferred)
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), drawing creation, tolerance stack-up analysis, etc.
- Good presentation and writing/communication skills
- Experience mentoring junior level engineers
- Must have an Active US Government Secret or higher clearance with US Citizenship
Basic Qualifications for a Senior Principal Mechanical Design Engineer:
- Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) discipline with eight or more years applicable experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline with six or more years applicable experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline with four years of applicable experience
- Expertise with mechanical CAD software (Siemens NX preferred)
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), drawing creation, tolerance stack-up analysis, etc.
- Good presentation and writing/communication skills
- Experience mentoring junior level engineers
- Must have an Active US Government Secret or higher clearance with US Citizenship
Preferred Qualifications for a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer:
- Demonstrated proficiency with Siemens NX CAD software and Teamcenter PLM software
- Expert-level proficiency with GD&T per ASME Y14.5
- Familiarity with ASME and MIL standards
- Basic understanding of stress principles and component sizing
- Engineering lab experience including leak rate and vibration testing
- Knowledge of CCA components, layout, and cable routing
- Demonstrated high degree of creativity and ability to solve a wide range of difficult problems
- Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated, willing to learn, experience working in a team environment
- Competence and confidence working under pressure on requests with short turn-around times
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical information clearly
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on continuous improvement
- Must be proactive and results-oriented, with a strong sense of ownership
Primary Level Salary Range: $0.00 - $0.00 Secondary Level Salary Range: $0.00 - $0.00 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.
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Find JobsPrincipal Mechanical Design Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
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What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal mechanical design engineer jobs.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related field
- 8 or more years of hands-on mechanical design experience with progressive responsibility
- Proficiency in CAD tools such as CATIA, SolidWorks, or Creo for detailed part and assembly modeling
- Experience leading design reviews, tolerance analyses, and GD&T documentation for complex assemblies
- Demonstrated ability to take a mechanical system from concept through design, test, and production release
- Familiarity with DFM, DFA, and DFMA principles applied to real manufacturing and supply chain constraints
Tips for Your Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Job Search
Tailor your resume to design ownership
Principal-level postings expect you to show design authority, not just contribution. Call out specific systems you owned end-to-end, from concept through validation and release, and name the tools and tolerances involved. Generic 'contributed to' phrasing will cost you interviews.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal mechanical design engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Highlight cross-functional leadership explicitly
Many candidates bury cross-functional work in job descriptions without naming it. Recruiters screening for principal engineers want to see that you've led design reviews, resolved conflicts between manufacturing and engineering, and driven decisions with structural impact.
Target postings by product stage and industry
A principal mechanical design engineer role at an early-stage hardware startup means something different than the same title at a Tier 1 defense contractor. Filter openings by company size and product lifecycle stage so you're applying where your experience maps cleanly.
Prepare a design walkthrough for interviews
Most principal-level interviews include a technical deep-dive where you walk through a past design. Choose a project where you made a non-obvious tradeoff, explain the constraints you were working under, and be ready to defend your decisions under questioning.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
At the principal level, what you own matters as much as what you earn. Before accepting an offer, clarify which product lines you'll influence, whether you'll set design standards across teams, and what your path looks like toward fellow or distinguished engineer.
Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal mechanical design engineers?
Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and FormFactor are hiring the most principal mechanical design engineers right now, with openings concentrated in California, Connecticut, and Utah, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Aerospace, defense, and medical device manufacturers account for a large share of these openings.
How many principal mechanical design engineer jobs are remote?
About 38% of principal mechanical design engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the share varies significantly by industry. Roles centered on software-driven mechanical systems or systems architecture tend to offer more flexibility, while positions requiring hands-on lab access, prototyping, or manufacturing coordination are almost always on-site.
How do you become a principal mechanical design engineer?
Start with a mechanical engineering degree and build foundational design experience across multiple product development cycles. Progress from individual contributor roles into ones where you own subsystems end-to-end. Develop depth in at least one domain, whether that's mechanisms, thermal management, or structural design, and broaden your skills in design for manufacturability and cross-functional technical leadership. Formal recognition as principal typically follows demonstrable influence on product direction and design standards.
Can you get a principal mechanical design engineer job without direct principal-level experience?
Yes, but you'll need to show that your work already operates at that level even if your title hasn't caught up. Document projects where you led the full design cycle, made consequential tradeoff decisions, and influenced other engineers' work. Smaller companies and startups are more likely to promote based on demonstrated capability than strict title progression, so targeting those openings can be a viable path.
What does the principal mechanical design engineer interview process look like?
Most processes start with a recruiter screen followed by a hiring manager conversation focused on your design background and leadership style. A technical round typically involves a detailed walkthrough of a past project, with questions probing your decision-making and tradeoff reasoning. Many companies also include a design exercise or case study. Final rounds often bring in cross-functional partners from manufacturing, systems engineering, or program management to assess how you collaborate beyond your own discipline.
Where can I find and apply to principal mechanical design engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to principal mechanical design engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the roles available, find the ones that match your background and target industry, and apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 31 Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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