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Sr. Principal Electronics Communications Engineer

Palmdale, California, United States
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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 Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Sr. Principal Electronics Communications Engineer to join our team in Palmdale, CA. This position will be in our Avionics Integration Organization and will support the development of new capabilities within the Air Dominance organization.

This candidate will work primarily as a part of our integrated development group, helping to ensure success of program execution, architecture development, requirements development, and supplier deliveries while continuing to drive efficiencies into our existing processes. The candidate will be responsible for:

Roles and Responsibilities will include:

  • Executing the technical baseline of the program including managing the appropriate suppliers to ensure requirements are met on time

  • Supporting the development program manager to manage the technical, cost, and schedule baselines for contractual development activities

  • Leading a team of cross-discipline engineers to accomplish technical objectives for the program

  • Working independently to proactively identify and address risks and issues; and bringing those items to appropriate engineering teams and program leadership

  • Providing oversight of program laboratories and aligning new capabilities into an enterprise system certification plan

  • Addressing and correcting deliverable subsystem performance concerns via program identified tools/systems on behalf of the program leadership team.

  • Identifying opportunities for cost and schedule improvement and working with engineering teams to implement in accordance with approved program process.

  • Providing hands-on support for risk reduction activities in our laboratory and production facilities

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility.  There is NO remote / hybrid / telework available for this position.  Travel up to 25% may be required.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related engineering experience.

  • Experience working with Communications, Payloads, and Network subsystems

  • Experience integrating complex subsystems together, leveraging System Engineering best practices

  • Experience in working with operations community to gather feedback and requirements to ensure delivered systems are being effectively employed to meet customer needs

  • Experience briefing technical material in large group settings including design reviews, program management reviews, and internal executive briefings

  • A U.S. Citizen with Active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance OR active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).

  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.

  • Network training/certifications (Network+, Security+, CCNA, etc.)

  • Experienced with antenna theory, modulation/encoding schemes, satellite communications, and tactical data links

  • Familiarity with common industry standards related to communications and network-based systems, such as MIL-STD-1553, RS-232/422, Ethernet (IPv4/IPv6)

Primary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00

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.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States, building advanced systems across space, air, land, sea, and cyber domains. The company is known for some of the most complex defense programs in the world, including stealth aircraft, autonomous systems, missile defense technologies, satellites, and space-based intelligence platforms that support U.S. national security operations.

For job seekers, Northrop Grumman offers careers across a wide range of high-impact fields including aerospace engineering, software development, cybersecurity, systems engineering, manufacturing, program management, and intelligence support. The company is especially attractive to veterans, cleared professionals, and engineers who want to work on mission-critical systems that directly support the Department of Defense and intelligence community. Many roles involve long-term programs with significant technical depth and real-world operational impact.

Unlike smaller defense startups focused on narrow capabilities, Northrop Grumman operates across multiple major mission areas, giving employees exposure to highly advanced programs such as stealth platforms, space systems, autonomous vehicles, and next-generation command-and-control systems. The company is also a major leader in classified space and intelligence systems, where cutting-edge engineering and secure infrastructure play a critical role in national defense.

As global competition in space, cyber, and advanced military systems continues to intensify, Northrop Grumman remains one of the most strategically important employers in the defense industry. For professionals seeking stable, highly technical careers with long-term impact on national security, Northrop Grumman continues to stand out as a leading destination in aerospace and defense.

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