2026 Associate Hardware Engineer - San Diego CA

Northrop Grumman; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 69,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking an Associate Hardware Engineer for our Mission Systems unit in San Diego, CA. This entry‑level role will join the San Diego Operations Test Engineering Department to support a range of communications systems and networked solutions.

Qualified candidates have an Electrical Engineering degree and can obtain a U.S. government security clearance. The position is full-time onsite with potential bonuses and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Must be completing or have completed a degree in Electrical Engineering or related STEM field.
• Must be able to obtain U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).
• Experience with RF test equipment (oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, signal generators).
• Experience with RF and digital hardware or software.

Responsibilities

• Work in the San Diego Operations Test Engineering Department.
• Support the CS and NIS divisions with test and integration tasks.
• Collaborate to deliver complex communications solutions for mission systems.

Skills

RF Test Equipment

RF Hardware

VHDL programming

FPGA

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Electrical Engineering degree (Bachelors/Masters/PhD)

Tools

LABVIEW

TestStand

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: 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 Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. We have a wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies. Our differentiated battle management and cyber solutions deliver timely, mission-enabling information and provide superior situational awareness and understanding to protect the U.S. and its global allies.

Entry Level opportunities at Northrop Grumman are unique. Are you interested in boosting your knowledge through experience and exposure, while supporting a mission that seeks to protect our nation and its allies? If so, then Northrop Grumman is the place you!

Our professionals live and breathe different perspectives; we are curious about the world, accepting each other, and aware that the more ideas, backgrounds, opinions and experiences we bring to our work, the stronger that work will be. Just as you would invest your time and hard work into our company, we focus on investing back into you through enriching professional experiences and high-quality learning and development opportunities. We want you to bring your whole self to work, and for you to have meaningful connections with your coworkers, customers and communities, while providing the best products, systems and technologies to protect our world.

Northrop Grumman is seeking Associate Hardware Engineer. This position will be located at our Mission Systems sector in San Diego, CA.

The qualified candidate will become part of Northrop Grumman’s San Diego Operations Test Engineering Department. The department supports the Communication Systems (CS) Business Unit and Business Unit within the Networked Information Solutions (NIS) Division of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.

Roles and Responsibilities

This position is fulltime onsite and is located at the Rancho Carmel campus in San Diego and will also support our Spectrum campus in San Diego if Secure Processing and Networking (SPAN) needed. This role reports to the Test Engineering Manager in San Diego. Our expertise is in delivering complex communications solutions to enable modern battlefields and support communications missions.

Basic Qualifications

A candidate must meet ALL of the below criteria. The candidate must:

• Be completing or has completed their degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD) from an accredited institution
• Be majoring in or having majored in Electrical Engineering or related STEM field.
• Be able to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite)
• The ability to obtain Special Access Program within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs
• Experience with RF Test Equipment such as an oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, and signal generators
• Experience with RF/Digital hardware or software
• undefined

Preferred Qualifications

• Have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.0 or higher
• Experience with FPGAs, VHDL programming, advanced troubleshooting techniques
• LABVIEW or TestStand Experience

Salary Range

$69,400 to $104,000

campusjobs

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.