GENERAL JOB SUMMARY:
The Senior Principal Engineer Engineering Excellence & Problem Solving serves as a senior individual-contributor and technical subject-matter expert responsible for leading complex engineering investigations, improving product and process robustness, and strengthening TDIis structured problem-solving capabilities.
Reporting to the Director of Operations and primarily supporting the Engineering organization, this position works cross-functionally with Product Engineering, Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Supply Chain, Test, Program Management, and external suppliers.
The Senior Principal Engineer applies Design for Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, reliability engineering, statistical analysis, and advanced root-cause methods to resolve complex technical issues involving turbine-engine performance, design variation, manufacturing processes, supplier components, materials, dimensional conditions, measurement systems, assembly, and testing.
This position does not have direct reports and does not replace the responsible design engineer, Engineering leadership, Configuration Control Board, Quality authority, or functional process owners. The role leads analysis, facilitates technical problem-solving, challenges assumptions, develops recommendations, and builds organizational capability through coaching and standardization.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Engineering Problem Solving
Lead complex cross-functional investigations involving product performance, design, manufacturing, suppliers, materials, inspection, assembly, and test data.
Establish clear problem statements, containment actions, data-collection plans, root-cause evidence, corrective actions, and validation criteria.
Apply appropriate problem-solving tools, including DMAIC, DMADV, DFSS, DOE, regression analysis, Weibull analysis, fault-tree analysis, MSA, SPC, and process capability.
Ensure teams distinguish between symptoms, contributing factors, escape points, and verified root causes.
Support NCR, CAPA, FRACAS, RMA, supplier corrective-action, and field-failure investigations.
Design Robustness and Reliability
Support Engineering in applying Design for Six Sigma throughout product development, design changes, qualification, and production support.
Facilitate DFMEA, design-risk reviews, tolerance analysis, functional analysis, and Design of Experiments.
Help identify key characteristics, critical characteristics, and performance-sensitive design parameters.
Correlate design requirements, dimensional variation, material properties, manufacturing conditions, and engine performance.
Apply Weibull and reliability methods to evaluate failure modes, product life, risk, and improvement opportunities.
Incorporate lessons learned from testing, nonconformances, supplier issues, and field performance into future designs.
Engineering and Manufacturing Integration
Support producibility, manufacturability, inspection, testability, and production-readiness reviews.
Connect DFMEA outputs to PFMEAs, control plans, inspection plans, work instructions, and process controls.
Identify gaps between engineering intent and manufacturing execution.
Support prototype builds, qualification, validation, low-rate production, and production-release activities.
Help determine whether issues are design-related, process-related, supplier-related, material-related, measurement-related, or test-related.
Supplier and Measurement Support
Support Supplier Quality with technically complex supplier investigations.
Participate in supplier process reviews, corrective-action reviews, and capability assessments.
Evaluate supplier manufacturing processes, special processes, dimensional data, inspection systems, and measurement correlation.
Support MSA, SPC, process capability, sampling plans, and measurement-system improvement.
Help develop technical recovery plans for critical components and supplier processes.
Continuous Improvement and Capability Development
Lead selected Lean Six Sigma projects tied to quality, delivery, cost, capacity, reliability, and customer commitments.
Develop TDI problem-solving standards, templates, procedures, and training materials.
Train and coach Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Supplier Quality personnel in structured problem-solving.
Facilitate technical workshops, root-cause sessions, reliability reviews, and improvement events.
Build internal capability so functional teams can independently apply these methods.
Establish a reusable lessons-learned process across programs.
Technical Communication
Prepare clear technical reports, investigation summaries, statistical analyses, and executive or customer presentations.
Document data sources, assumptions, methods, findings, conclusions, corrective actions, and validation results.
Communicate technical information effectively to engineers, technicians, suppliers, customers, and leadership.
Maintain records in accordance with TDI procedures, customer requirements, and configuration-control requirements.
AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The Senior Principal Engineer may:
Lead assigned technical investigations.
Request relevant engineering, manufacturing, supplier, quality, dimensional, and test data.
Recommend containment, testing, design changes, process changes, supplier actions, and corrective actions.
Escalate unresolved technical risks or unsupported conclusions.
Challenge assumptions and request objective evidence before investigation closure.
The Senior Principal Engineer does not... For full info follow application link.
Kratos is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled.
All qualified job seekers are encouraged to apply. Kratos is committed to America's veterans by providing opportunities for them to continue contributing after service to our nation. We also work to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.
