{"id":3359778,"url":"https://alion.io/job/twenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer","title":"Principal Process Engineer","company":{"id":3837257,"name":"Twenty-Six Defense","domain":"26defense.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/26defense","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Dayforce","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":21,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":35,"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Fort Worth, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":103000,"max_usd":209000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":1961},"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Statistical Process Control","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-27T05:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-27","last_verified_at":"2026-10-30T11:10:49Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":3,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":3},"description":"Position Summary\nThe Principal Process Engineer serves as the highest technical authority for Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) manufacturing within the Center of Excellence. This role provides expert-level leadership in advanced process development, cross-functional project execution, and technology advancement for high-reliability defense and aerospace electronics. The Principal Engineer drives major initiatives that improve quality, yield, reliability, and cost performance, while ensuring strict compliance with IPC, J-STD, and MIL standards. The ideal candidate possesses deep subject-matter expertise, a strong record of leading complex technical projects, and the ability to influence engineering direction across the facility.\nKey Responsibilities\nLead development, implementation, and optimization of advanced CCA manufacturing processes including SMT, wave/selective soldering, bonding/staking, conformal coating, and ruggedization.\nEstablish long-range process capability goals and define technical strategies to enhance manufacturing robustness, automation, and efficiency.\nServe as the technical authority for processing documentation, work instructions, and standards for all CCA processes at the Center of Excellence.\nMaintain expert-level knowledge of IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and MIL requirements and ensure all CCA processes meet these specifications.\nLead major root cause investigations for complex or high-impact quality challenges and coordinate cross-functional corrective actions.\nOversee advanced SPC, data analytics, and process monitoring for critical manufacturing steps.\nLead multidisciplinary technical projects aimed at improving yield, manufacturability, cost, automation, and defect reduction.\nPartner closely with Design Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Program Management to resolve complex manufacturing challenges and support New Product Introduction (NPI).\nAct as the primary technical lead for implementation of new equipment, inspection systems, and automation technologies.\nEvaluate and integrate emerging manufacturing technologies such as SMT platforms, AOI/SPI systems, and automation solutions.\nDrive digital manufacturing enhancements, process modeling, and capability studies.\nProvide technical mentorship to Senior, Mid-level, and Junior Process Engineers.\nReview and approve major process changes, validation plans, and engineering documentation.\nDeliver training on advanced electronics manufacturing processes, inspection methods, soldering best practices, and thermal profiling.\nDevelop and maintain advanced process metrics using data-driven approaches.\nPartner with Operations and Manufacturing Engineering to enhance MES/ERP capabilities supporting process control and traceability.\nRequired Qualifications\nBachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field; Master's degree preferred.\n10+ years of experience in electronics manufacturing and CCA process engineering.\nDeep expertise in SMT, soldering, inspection technologies, and high-reliability electronics manufacturing.\nStrong knowledge of IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and aerospace/defense manufacturing requirements.\nProven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects and driving high-impact technical initiatives.\nHands-on experience with SMT platforms (e.g., FUJI), AOI/SPI systems (e.g., Koh Young), wash processes, conformal coating, and ruggedization.\nAdvanced capability in SPC, data analysis, Six Sigma methodologies, and process validation.\nStrong collaboration skills with ability to influence engineering and manufacturing decisions across teams.\nPreferred Skills\nExperience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and establishing new manufacturing capabilities.\nExpertise with CAD tools for process/fixture design and manufacturing simulation.\nDemonstrated success implementing advanced automation and digital manufacturing solutions.\nAbility to lead multiple technical projects simultaneously with minimal supervision.\nStrong communication skills for guiding teams and presenting complex technical information.\nBasic understanding of APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) principles.\nWorking knowledge of DMAIC methodology (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control).\nFamiliarity with PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) continuous improvement cycle.\nSecurity Clearance\nMust be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4408,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":true},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["C4ISR","Soldier Equipment"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-27T20:53:56Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":63,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.632,"p_room":1,"age_days":3,"expected_fill_days":35,"reasons":["conf:3","stale_co","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/twenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/twenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-30T14:14:44Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1598,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-31T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3837257},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3837257"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Ftwenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Ftwenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Ftwenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/twenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Ftwenty-six-defense-principal-process-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3359778}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"26defense.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3359778},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}