Principal Systems Engineer - Fault Management & System Autonomy (AHT)

Northrop Grumman

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Dulles, Virginia

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PERMANENT

Updated 09/17/2026

Job Description

Job Summary

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE

Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START

Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE

SCITRAVEL:

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.

At 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 employees are not only part of history, theyre making history.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems Sector, Eastern Region Engineering is hiring a qualified Principal Systems Engineer to support missions within the Space Superiority Division located in Dulles, VA. The job responsibilities will be as an individual-contributor and deliverable/product lead within a multi-disciplinary engineering team, specifically supporting functions related to Fault Management and System Autonomy (FMSA) for space systems.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Perform traditional Systems Engineering functions, including requirements synthesis and flow-down, verification/validation planning, system trades study support, systems analysis, coordination of design efforts, and management of technical budgets & interface definitions.

The application of these systems engineering functions will be in the context of fault management, system autonomy.

The candidate must be able to assist in the formulation of system design, definition of concept of operations, and systems analysis for failure modes and effects, including their identification and mitigation through autonomous or operational controls.

Designing, implementing, and validating Fault Management and System Autonomy Flight Software using flight-like simulations and flight hardware.

Must be knowledgeable in spacecraft subsystem design, spacecraft testing, flight software best practices, and mission operations.

Candidate may be called on to assist in new business activities, such as conceptual design and analysis for proposals and funded studies and may include authoring sections for both.

Presentation skills and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to either technical or nontechnical audiences is required.

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelors of Science degree in technical field + 5 years of experience, or Masters of Science degree in technical field + 3 years of experience; or a PhD

Experience in Systems Engineering for mission critical applications

Mission and/or vehicle systems engineering experience

Software coding or scripting experience

Requires an active Top-Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance at time of application

Preferred Qualifications:

Failure analysis or fault management technical experience

Experience defining requirements & interfaces

Understanding of spacecraft integration & test, launch, and mission operations

Experience developing verification documentation

Experience with architecture development

Experience with spacecraft mission operations

Familiarity with electrical & computer systems

Familiarity with command and telemetry databases

SpaceEngJobs

SpaceSysEngJobs

NoVASpace

Primary Level Salary Range:

$114,000.00 - $171,000.00The 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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