Engineering Technician – Cable Design 3

Engineering Technician 3

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, but they are also making history.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking to hire an Engineering Technician 3 to join the Common Cable Team. This position will be in the Chandler, AZ facility.

The Chandler group performs cradle-to-grave engineering on most of their launch vehicles and is actively working on approximately 15 separate vehicles at any given time, including Antares, Minotaur, GMD, Sentinel, and many others. Their products serve critical functions such as ISS cargo resupply, deploying defense satellites, advancing missile interceptor technology, and providing essential target vehicles to enhance military capabilities.

This means you can be part of the design, operations planning, ground support development, analysis, testing, integration, launch operations, and more, gaining hands-on experience that reinforces your existing skills while teaching you what it takes to get a rocket to lift off and achieve orbit. Our department offers a variety of sub-groups where you can either specialize in becoming an industry expert or take a more well-rounded approach by learning a little about everything.

Job Duties:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Engineering Technician to join our Common Cable Team (CCT). In this role, you will contribute to the analysis, design, and testing of complex electrical systems and components in support of launch vehicle development. You will play a critical part in ensuring the successful integration and functionality of electrical harnesses and related systems by collaborating with cross-functional teams and applying your technical expertise.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct analysis, design, and testing of electrical systems to meet defined objectives and ensure subsystem- and system-level designs meet performance requirements.
• Develop and produce detailed harness and installation drawings in accordance with best industry CAD practices.
• Design electrical harnesses and wiring for applications such as power distribution, RF signals, communications, and high-speed data transmission while applying EMI/RFI shielding and mitigation techniques.
• Select appropriate components, including connectors, backshells, cables, wires, and harness hardware in accordance with standards (e.g., IPC/WHMA-A-620A, NASA-STD-8739.4).
• Collaborate with engineering teams, manufacturing teams, and operations groups to ensure seamless design processes, successful integration, and testing of electrical harnesses and cables.
• Support assembly and testing activities, with a focus on detailed quality and performance standards.
• Manage the drawing release cycle, review BOMs for accuracy against engineering drawings, and perform reviews of electrical drawings for formatting errors and consistency.
• Review internal, external, and range requirements to support launch vehicle designs.
• Actively prioritize safety through every aspect of the role.

Basic Qualifications:

• Engineering Technician 3: High School diploma or equivalent and 4 years of additional education and/or related experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with Teamcenter or equivalent PLM software.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Security Clearance at the time of application.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 30 lbs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Secret or higher security clearance.
• Knowledge of cable manufacturing processes, including connectors, crimping, soldering, forming, and testing.
• Experience designing and integrating wire harnesses in the aerospace industry.
• Familiarity with existing harness standards: IPC/WHMA-A-620A (Cable & Wire Harness Assemblies), NASA-STD-8739.4.
• Experience releasing engineering documentation such as technical drawings, specifications, and test procedures.
• Experience designing and testing electrical harnesses for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or aircraft.
• Prior experience solving technical, schedule, or resource-related project challenges.
• Ability to work in small teams, covering all aspects of system design—from concept through testing.

Desired Experience:

• Expertise in electrical design for power distribution, RF signals, and high-speed data systems.
• Working knowledge of EMI/RFI shielding and harness design principles.
• Familiarity with generating and interpreting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, drawings, and BOMs.
• Hands-on experience with cable and harness assembly and testing.
• Experience with spacecraft harness/wire or cable designs and familiarity with space program specifications and flight hardware.
• Proficiency with Electronic CAD tools such as Capital Logic, AutoCAD Electrical, or equivalent.