CI Equipment Engineer / Principal CI Equipment Engineer

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: Polygraph

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 Microelectronics Center (NGMC) of Mission Systems is seeking a CI Equipment Engineer or Principal CI Equipment Engineer for our Advanced Technology Lab (ATL) located just outside Baltimore, Maryland. At ATL, we design, manufacture, and test semiconductor products for internal and commercial production customers as well as emerging technology programs. The ideal candidate will have experience sustaining equipment at a semiconductor fab, as this role involves overseeing a portfolio of service contracts while ensuring compliance with contract terms, renewal deadlines, and performance metrics.

This role merges contract administration, equipment and process engineering, and cross‑functional leadership to maximize equipment uptime and efficiency. The successful candidate will track and manage service contracts, identify and address equipment pain points, and lead vendor escalation meetings during extended tool downtimes. Additionally, they will set expectations to drive continuous improvement initiatives, streamline processes, and ensure that corrective actions are effectively implemented to meet high fab performance standards.

This position may qualify for Extended Work Week (EWW) compensation, which provides straight time pay at the regular hourly rate for authorized hours worked beyond 80 in a biweekly pay period. EWW eligibility and approval are determined by management discretion and business needs. Additionally, a 9/80 work schedule may be available, allowing for a day off every two weeks while maintaining full-time hours to support work-life balance. Both EWW and alternative work schedules are subject to review and may change based on customer requirements and evolving business priorities.

Competencies & Attributes

• Strategic Thinking: Aligns contract strategy with fab productivity goals.

• Problem Solving: Quickly isolates root causes and drives corrective actions.

• Stakeholder Management: Balances vendor interests with internal operational priorities.

• Data‑Driven: Leverages KPI trends to make informed decisions and forecast renewal needs.

• Integrity: Maintains confidentiality of proprietary equipment data and contract terms.

#NGATL

#NGMCFab

This requisition may be filled as a CI Equipment Engineer or Principal CI Equipment Engineer.

Basic Qualifications for CI Equipment Engineer:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) with 2 years of related experience; Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 0 years related experience;

• Prior experience in generating standard operating procedures (SOPs), technical reports, and corrective and preventive maintenance plans for 200mm or 300mm semiconductor equipment.

• Experience contributing to CI projects designed to improve equipment performance and reliability and to maximize Mean Productive Time Between Failures (MTBF).

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

• Prior experience coordinating or instructing field service engineers (FSEs) from leading semiconductor OEMs (e.g., AMAT, ASML, KLA, Onto, Raith).

• U.S. Citizenship required.

• The ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance with Poly clearance is required.

Basic Qualifications for Principal CI Equipment Engineer:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) with 5 years of related experience; Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 3 years related experience; Ph.D in a STEM discipline with 1 year of related experience.

• Prior experience in generating standard operating procedures (SOPs), technical reports, and corrective and preventive maintenance plans for 200mm or 300mm semiconductor equipment.

• Experience contributing to CI projects designed to improve equipment performance and reliability and to maximize Mean Productive Time Between Failures (MTBF).

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

• Prior experience coordinating or instructing field service engineers (FSEs) from leading semiconductor OEMs (e.g., AMAT, ASML, KLA, Onto, Raith).

• U.S. Citizenship required.

• The ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance with Poly clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of wafer fabrication processes (etch, deposition, lithography, metrology, etc.).

• Experience negotiating and managing service contracts with leading semiconductor OEMs.

• Proficiency in data analysis, SPC, and root cause methodologies (e.g., 8D).

• Advanced communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly and negotiate mutually beneficial agreements.

• Skill in interpreting and modifying diagrams and schematics to troubleshoot and resolve hardware issues effectively.

• Expertise in fingerprinting a wide range of equipment, including detailed assessments of hardware configurations, calibration parameters, and process variables.

• Strong understanding of experimental design methodologies, specifically full factorial and fractional factorial designs.

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.

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.