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Principal Systems Engineer

San Diego, California, United States
Full Time On-site
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top 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 Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Systems Engineering organization. This role is located in San Diego, CA. The candidate should be a self-starter with familiarity working in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) construct.

Roles and Responsibilities will include:

• Support System Requirements Review (SRR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of new development projects

• Work with a team of engineers on the development of system design, end-to-end traceability, data analyses, interface verification, and failure/anomaly resolution

• Independently develop methods to automate processes and documentation associated with design and testing.

• Develop and produce artifacts that support design reviews, systems integration, verification, and validation.

• Attends and/or prepares materials for presentations for Engineering Design Reviews

• Develop, mature, and coordinate software interfaces and requirements to support the design, development, and sustainment of integrated components of a large system across multiple contracts.

• Host and attend working group and review board meetings and provide insight and technical approval as required.

• Possess strong interpersonal and leadership skills with excellent communications skills to support coordination across IPTs and with external customers.

• Support requirements decomposition and updates to requirements documents

• Solicit feedback from stakeholders to refine lower level requirements

• Strong critical thinking, verbal, and written communication skills are required for success in this role

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.

We offer a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.

Basic Qualifications

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) field and 5 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master of Science Degree in a STEM field and 3 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD in a STEM field and 1 year of relevant military / professional / academic experience.

• Experience supporting Systems Engineering Milestones SRR, PDR and Critical Design Review (CDR)

• Experience with the application and development of Interface Control artifacts and requirements in large systems.

• Experience briefing technical presentations to stakeholders

• Must have an active US Government Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently 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.

• Can identify moderate architecture defects in presentation material

• Experience in full lifecycle of Systems Engineering, including requirements decomposition, test planning, requirements verification and Coordinate verification plans among various IPTs.

• Prefer Engineering degree in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Engineering Physics

• Experience working on military aircraft / spacecraft systems

• Experience providing analysis and engineering support to new business development and proposal activities.

• Experience in system architecture and Concept of Operations (CONOPs)

• Experience in Interface Control Document (ICD) development and integration

Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00

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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