Skip to content

Principal / Sr. Principal Signal / Image Processing Engineer

Woodland Hills, California, United States
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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 Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security.  Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter.  Come be a part of our mission!

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Woodland Hills, CA is currently seeking a Principal or Senior Principal Signal/Image Processing Engineer with a current/active Top Secret clearance to support sensor exploitation activities in the Artificial Intelligence and Analytics department.

What You’ll get to Do:

In this role, the selected candidate will join a staff of signal/image processing engineers, systems engineers, and software engineers that supports the development of signal and image processing algorithms and software. In this position you will develop and prototype new algorithms or enhancements to existing algorithms, refine the algorithms on the program database, and work in close collaboration with software engineers who implement the algorithms in configured software products. The position requires knowledge of classical signal processing techniques; the supported programs also increasingly value and use AI/ML-based algorithms.
 

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Introducing and developing new algorithm components for the exploitation of signal and image data
  • Applying classical signal/image processing algorithms and/or machine learning algorithms to large sets of structured and unstructured data to solve a broad range of problems that include applications in pattern recognition, target detection and tracking, and false alarm mitigation
  • Interfacing with software engineers to ensure implemented algorithms are correct, robust, and maintainable
  • Designing a robust test suite
  • Creating presentation material to explain and document work, and presenting to internal and external stakeholders

This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on qualifications listed below

This requisition may be filled at either a Principal Level or a Sr. Principal Level. 

Basic Qualifications for a Principal Signal / Image Processing Engineer:

  • 5 years of Engineering experience with a Bachelors of Science in a STEM discipline; 3 years of Engineering experience with Masters, or 1 year of Engineering experience with a PhD
  • Must be a US Citizen
  • Active US Government Secret Clearance
  • Ability to meet customer-specific security screening requirements within a timeframe set forth by management
  • Willingness and ability to work onsite full-time in Woodland Hills, CA
  • Background in signal/image processing
  • Experience working in MATLAB and/or Python
  • Demonstrated presentation skills
  • Demonstrated effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders

Basic Qualifications for a Sr. Principal Signal / Image Processing Engineer:

  • 8 years of Engineering experience with a Bachelors of Science in a STEM discipline; 6 years of Engineering experience with Masters, or 4 year of Engineering experience with a PhD
  • Must be a US Citizen
  • Active US Government Secret Clearance
  • Ability to meet customer-specific security screening requirements within a timeframe set forth by management
  • Willingness and ability to work onsite full-time in Woodland Hills, CA
  • Background in signal/image processing
  • Experience working in MATLAB and/or Python
  • Demonstrated presentation skills
  • Demonstrated effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Experience designing novel mathematical and statistical modeling and algorithm products to tackle the challenges of prediction, optimization, and classification
  • Experience designing signal processing algorithms for advance computer architectures
  • Familiarity with C / C++
  • Familiarity with current AI/ML techniques
  • Active US Government Top Secret Clearance and enrolled in Continuous Evaluation

This position is contingent upon the successful transfer of an active US Government Secret Clearance and the ability to meet customer-specific security screening requirements within a timeframe set forth by management.

Primary Level Salary Range: $125,300.00 - $187,900.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $156,400.00 - $234,600.00

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.

Go to company profile