Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman

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Palmdale, California

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PERMANENT

Updated 09/22/2026

Job Description

Job Summary

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE

Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START

Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE

Top SecretTRAVEL:

Yes, 10 of the TimeDescriptionAt Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact peoples 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 nations 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, theyre making history.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Senior Principal Systems Engineer to join our team of diverse, qualified individuals in our Systems Engineering organization. This role may be located in Rancho Bernardo, CA, El Segundo, CA, or Palmdale, CA.

In this role, you will apply the full systems engineering lifecycle—from concept and requirements definition through integration, verification & validation (V&V), and delivery. You will have regular interaction with customers and leadership, including preparation and delivery of technical briefings.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Apply the full systems engineering lifecycle, including Concept development and system definition, Requirements development, decomposition, and allocation, Interface definition and management, Integration, verification, and validation planning and execution

Develop Verification & Validation (V&V) strategies and plans, including Requirement Verification Plans and System Test & Verification Plans.

Work closely with test and specialty engineering teams to ensure test procedures correctly interpret and verify requirements.

Develop and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs) for internal and external system interfaces through internal coordination with Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), suppliers, and customers, and through interface working groups.

Support development and documentation of system architectures and Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) working with cross-functional teams to ensure the architecture supports performance, reliability, safety, and maintainability objectives.

Provide systems engineering input to design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR) and integration/test readiness reviews.

Prepare and deliver technical briefings to internal leadership and external customers.

Basic Qualifications

Must have a Bachelors of Science degree in a STEM field and at least 8 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Masters 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 experience across the systems engineering lifecycle, including: Requirements development and decomposition, Requirements management and traceability, Verification & validation planning and execution

Must have experience with requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, DOORS Next, or similar).

Must have experience with ICD development and interface definition.

Must have experience preparing and delivering technical presentations to customers or leadership.

Must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance (investigation within the last 6 years or enrolled in 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 the ability to obtain and maintain subsequent SAP PARs following commencement of employment to be able to completely support statement of work

Preferred Qualifications

Active USG Top Secret and/or current Special Access/SCI, as required by program.

Experience supporting major systems engineering milestones (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR).

Experience with system architecture development, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and/or CONOPS definition.

Hands-on experience with HW/SW integration and test, including test procedure development and discrepancy/anomaly resolution.

Familiarity with Agile development methods and/or CI/CD environments.

Experience coordinating with suppliers on technical requirements, interfaces, and verification expectations.

Primary Level Salary Range:

$142,200.00 - $213,400.00The 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 candidates 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.

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