Skunk Works Manufacturing Engineer Level 3
Lockheed Martin · Palmdale, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $96k–$178k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Lockheed Martin (aerospace & defense) in Palmdale, CA.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, SPC, Robotics, Automation, Machining, CATIA / NX
- Base pay
- $96k–$178k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
- Openings
- 2 with this title at this site
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $111k–$173k. This one lists $96k–$178k.
Median of the low and high ends of 165 live postings that list pay, out of 436 manufacturing engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 435 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Typical $109k–$159k, from 143 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Tooling 50%
- New product launch 44%
- Root cause 37%
- ✓ Automation 35%
- ✓ Machining 27%
- ✓ CATIA / NX 26%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for SPC, SAP, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Lockheed Martin
We found 6 people at this company and state: 6 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Jose → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Lockheed Martin in Palmdale
25 other open roles at this site · 6 people we found in manufacturing roles at Lockheed Martin.
- Industrial Engineer Senior - Level 3 · Industrial · Senior
- ADP Skunkworks Manufacturing Engineer - Level 2 · Manufacturing
- Operations Engineer Senior Staff - Level 5 · Production · Senior
- Industrial Engineering Manager - Level 5 · Industrial · Manager
- Multifunctional Quality Manager - L5 · Quality · Manager
- Industrial Engineer Staff - Level 4 · Industrial · Senior
Skunk Works Manufacturing Engineer Level 3 at Lockheed Martin in other locations
Lockheed Martin lists this title in 3 places. Pick the plant you can get to.
Full description from Lockheed MartinAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
to best utilize equipment and manufacturing techniques.
<b>What’s In It For You:</b>
From onsite to remote, we offer flexible work schedules to comprehensive benefits investing in your future and security, <a href= https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/careers/why-lm/LM_Benefits.html > Learn more about Lockheed Martin’s comprehensive benefits package here.</a>
Do you want to be part of a company culture that empowers employees to think big, lead with a growth mindset, and make the impossible a reality? We provide the resources and give you the flexibility to enable inspiration and focus -if you have the passion and courage to dream big, work hard, and have fun doing what you love then we want to build a better tomorrow with you.
This position is in Palmdale, CA <a href= https://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/aero-palmdale-california > Discover Palmdale.</a>
Basic
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelors degree required to apply
- ✓Experience in a manufacturing environment working cross functionally with other disciplines including industrial engineering, planning, scheduling, Quality Assurance &/or production operations.
- ✓Experience with some combination of the following: experience with manufacturing processes and procedures including: composite fabrication, structural assembly, machining, bonded assemblies &/or installations.
- ✓Ability to obtain special program access within 3 months of start date with LM.-
- ✓Active Secret security clearance with an investigation within the last 5 years.
responsibilities
of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market(work location) and business considerations when extending an offer.
Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible work arrangements and schedules (e.g., 4x10), 401(k) match, Paid time off, Holidays, Parental Leave, EAP, Flexible Spending Accounts, Education Assistance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability.
- ◆Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs may be offered depending on the position. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and can vary from year to year and are tied to a range of performance metrics.
- ◆For (Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Standard Job Description
Performs in a collaborative environment to develop and implement manufacturing processes, procedures and production layouts for assemblies, equipment installation, processing, fabrication, and material handling. Drives adoption of new technologies and processes (automation, robotics, computer aided manufacturing software, etc.) to achieve greater efficiency, cost reduction and quality improvement. Creates and analyzes 3D based model data environment to optimize manufacturing process and digital work instructions. Leverages understanding of materials and automatic processes to define operations procedures and build sequences to drive operational excellence. Evaluates performance (including IoT devices, etc.) of equipment and tools to verify their efficiency and investigates and initiates corrective action of problems and deficiencies to ensure operational excellence. Leverages factory data to develop statistical process control approaches and integrates reporting and data analytics solutions for continuous improvement. Provides input to product design regarding design concepts and specification
Desired Skills
- +Previous experience with lean manufacturing and process improvements
- +Degree in Mechanical Engineering or other related technical field
- +Experience with various PLM systems including SAP, iBase-t (Solumina), Teamcenter, and/or SFM
- +Experience supporting various projects and coordinating activities related to the full life cycle of projects from conception to delivery
- +Working knowledge of one or more organizations including: Operations, IT, Planning, Production Control, ERP, MRP, Quality or systems integration.
- +Demonstrated ability to drive issues to closure and develop preventative action plan to limit failures in the future.
- +Demonstrated ability to solve logistical issues and lead efforts to drive mission success.
- +Demonstrated understanding of engineering blueprints, process specifications and manufacturing planning.
- +Previous experience incorporating model based engineering into manufacturing plans.Experience with MRP system or SAP or other Manufacturing Execution System (MES) application
- +Experience with Catia
Pay Information
At Lockheed Martin, we know mission success starts with taking care of our people. Our Total Rewards program is designed to attract top talent, support your well-being, and help you grow—both professionally and personally.
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