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Senior Principal Propulsion Engineer

Redondo Beach, California, United States
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: SAP

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 has an opening for a Sr Principal Engineer Air Breathing Propulsion to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be located in Redondo Beach, CA.

As an engineer supporting the Air Breathing Propulsion section, the selected candidate will support the design and analysis needs of unclassified and classified programs in Redondo Beach, California. Candidate will interface with customers to define study areas and report status on current programs and technology development efforts.  Candidate may interface with their management and technical teams to define business relationships and technology initiatives for both IRAD (Internal Research and Development) and CRAD (Contractual Research and Development) efforts.  This position will support a variety of programs performing analysis and integration activities.

Essential Functions:

  • Lead engine performance and cycle analysis and provide guidance to programs
  • Lead subsonic and supersonic inlet and exhaust design and integration
  • Perform project planning to determine program requirements and develop plans for program execution
  • Interface with external engine suppliers and manage external engine supplier activities

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Ten plus (10+) years of experience with Aeronautical Air Breathing Propulsion and Flight Sciences engineering disciplines.
  • Experience with survivable propulsion systems
  • Experience in technical leadership and guidance of junior Air Breathing Propulsion engineers.
  • Experience in Air Breathing Propulsion processes and products throughout the program life cycle.
  • Experience in hypersonic design and analysis
  • Demonstrated ability to lead an engineering cross-functional team.
  • Experience with Agile design teams and tools(Atlassian)
  • Understanding of Systems Engineering Principles and Model Based Systems Engineering tools (MBSE) with a practical focus for relevant use cases in propulsion integration.
  • Experience with PLM software (Teamcenter)
  • Serve as organization spokesperson on advanced projects and/or programs. Act as advisor to management and customers on advanced technical research studies and applications.
  • A current active in-scope U.S. Government DoD Top Secret clearance with current or previous Special Program Access (SAP/PAR).

Basic Qualifications for a Sr Principal Engineer:

  • Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) with 8 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in STEM with 6 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in STEM with 4 years of related engineering experience.
  • Air Breathing Propulsion knowledge and experience on aircraft (subsonic, supersonic or hypersonic) or missile systems.
  • Ability and willingness to travel 25% of the time.
  • Must have an active DoD Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Education). Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
  • Interface with internal and external customers, assisting in defining system requirements, defining study areas, and providing status on current programs and technology
  • Develop and present materials for internal and external program related briefings
  • Support new business generation and prepare proposal material
  • Strong verbal and communication skills to interact with key cross-discipline stakeholders to achieve program objectives in a timely manner
  • Technical and ICD writing
  • Task planning, conducting technical peer reviews, and mentoring junior engineers
  • Apply and contribute to the development of advanced technical principles, theories, and concepts.
  • Work on complex technical problems and provide solutions which are highly innovative
  • Collaborate and execute on long-range goals and objectives.
  • Develop advanced technological ideas and guide development into a final product.

Primary Level Salary Range: $137,400.00 - $206,000.00

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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