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Space Principal/ Sr. Principal Engineer Systems

Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI

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.

The Intelligence Systems Division, a division within Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is known for pushing the boundaries of innovation, redefining engineering capabilities, and driving advances in various sciences through cutting-edge technology.  Our team is chartered with providing the skills, and 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 Space Systems (NGSP) is seeking an experienced Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Integrator in the Intelligence Systems Division Engineering organization supporting our Intelligence and Sensing Business Unit (BU) to support a program out of our Fairfax, VA, or Morrisville, NC locations.

We are seeking a highly skilled Systems Integrator with expertise in ground software systems, integration, and testing. The ideal candidate will be responsible for supporting the verification of ground software systems and integrating key mission-critical technologies. This position offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge space systems while collaborating with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities:

•Site Hardware deployment, integration, checkout and test through verification complete

•Experience with Satellite Ground SW system verification including Command and Control and Space vehicle mission management

•Experience with Python

•System architecture understanding – ability to comprehend how various components interact and identify potential integration points

•Scripting and automation expertise – proficiency in create and maintaining automated test scripts used for verification testing

•Communication and collaborations – skill in clearly documenting issues and coordinating with developers across different teams to resolve interaction problems

•Diagnostics reasoning – capability to analyze complex integration failures, diagnose software deficiencies through log analysis and debugging tools, trace root cause, and identify patterns across seemingly unrelated issues

This position may be filled at a higher job level based on the qualifications listed below.

This requisition may be filled as either a Principal or Sr. Principal Systems Integrator.

Basic Qualifications for a Principal Systems Integrator:

· Bachelor's degree and 5 years of relevant experience; 3 years of relevant experience with a Master's; 0 years of relevant experience with a PhD. An additional 4 years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

· Proven experience with ground software system verification, specifically related to Command and Control (C2) and Mission Management (MM).

· Strong background in integration and test efforts, including planning, execution, and documentation.

· Expertise in testing tools and automation.

· Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with the ability to be cleared to get a CI Poly

Basic Qualifications for a Sr. Principal Systems Integrator:

· Bachelor's degree and 8 years of relevant experience; 6 years of relevant experience with a Master's; 4 years of relevant experience with a PhD. An additional 4 years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

· Proven experience with ground software system verification, specifically related to Command and Control (C2) and Mission Management (MM).

· Strong background in integration and test efforts, including planning, execution, and documentation.

· Expertise in testing tools and automation.

· Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with the ability to be clearer to get a CI Poly

Preferred Qualifications:

· Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with CI poly

Proficiency in programming and scripting languages such as Python, MATLAB, C, C++, and Java.

· Exposure to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools like Visio and Cameo.

· Familiarity with collaboration and lifecycle management tools, including JIRA, Confluence, and Bitbucket.

· Knowledge of Systems Tool Kit (STK) for mission simulation and analysis.

· Experience with Agile program execution, including sprint planning, backlog management, and iterative development.

· Working knowledge of Gherkin/Cucumber testing frameworks for behavior-driven development (BDD).

· Hands-on experience with version control systems like GitLab.

· Understanding and use of container technologies (e.g., Docker/Kubernetes).

· Familiarity with cloud technologies, especially AWS Cloud services.

Primary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $171,000.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $135,800.00 - $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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