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Senior Principal Systems Engineer – IFC Management

San Diego, 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, 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 Senior Principal Systems Engineer – IFC Management to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals in our Systems Engineering organization. This role is located in Rancho Bernardo. CA.

In this role, you would consider yourself to be a self-starter with familiarity working in an Integrated Product Team construct, able to work in a dynamic fast-paced environment, action oriented, strong attention to detail, and communicates effectively.

Roles and Responsibilities will include:

  • Lead a team of engineers from across the technical disciplines to align and coordinate execution of the development, integration, test, and certification of the IFC releases
  • Lead recurring IFC coordination and customer status meetings
  • Develop the long term IFC strategy, content roadmaps, and estimated execution schedules
  • Collaborate with the Technical Baseline Manager to manage the IFC content prioritization and selection process
  • Act as the primary representative for the Technical Baseline Manager in Software Review Board for discrepancy report adjudication
  • Manage discrepancy report resolution, coordinating troubleshooting plans with all affected Responsible Engineers and ensuring timely execution of the plan
  • Manage IFC content additions, evaluating fix criticality and the execution schedule
  • Ensure that impacts to program milestones are coordinated with the Technical Baseline Manager and Program Manager before adding content
  • Develop, reviewing, and release of IFC Configuration Documentation and the IFC Certification Package, ensuring first time quality of those products
  • 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 10% may be required.

Basic Qualifications

  • Must have a Bachelors degree in a STEM field and at least 8 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least 6 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least 4 years of relevant military / professional experience
  • Must have an active US Government Top Secret or higher 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.
  • Must have experience imanaging projects from concept through implementation.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Current approved PAR to applicable program
  • Experience in leadership role on Sustainment Programs.
  • Experience in Cost/Schedule Integration, EVMS and CAM responsibilities.
  • Experience in proposal development.
  • Demonstrated communication and technical writing skills.
  • Proven ability to brief technical presentations to stakeholders.
  • Experience in Full Lifecycle of Systems Engineering

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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