2027 Electrical Engineer - Digital Hardware Design - Dulles VA

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 92,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking an early-career Electrical Engineer to join the Avionics Digital Hardware Design team, supporting advanced spacecraft electronic systems.

Role focuses on digital circuits, schematics, and hardware verification, with opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and grow technical skills in a demanding space environment.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with digital electronics/embedded hardware focus.
• Fundamental understanding of digital circuit design and electronic components.
• Experience applying digital hardware design principles through coursework or projects.
• Experience using digital circuit simulation, schematic capture, or verification tools.
• Hands-on laboratory experience testing, measuring, or troubleshooting electronic circuits or digital hardware.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is required).
• No prior professional engineering experience is required.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and development of digital circuits for spacecraft avionics.
• Develop and review electrical schematics involving digital logic, processors, memory devices, FPGAs, clocks, reset circuits, and digital interfaces.
• Perform circuit analysis, simulation, and basic design verification to evaluate digital hardware functionality and performance.
• Support component selection and collaborate with ECAD engineers during PWB design and layout.
• Participate in hardware integration, laboratory testing, debugging, and troubleshooting of digital electronic assemblies.
• Use laboratory test equipment, including oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers, and signal generators.
• Document engineering analyses, design decisions, test procedures, and verification results.
• Collaborate with senior engineers and multidisciplinary teams to support spacecraft hardware development.

Skills

Digital logic

Digital electronics

Embedded hardware

Python

C/C++

MATLAB

Teamwork

Strong communication

Education

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

GPA 3.7/4.0 or higher

U.S. citizenship or ability to obtain security clearance

Tools

Vivado

Quartus

ModelSim

Altium

Cadence

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No CLEARANCE TYPE: None TRAVEL: No 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.

Job Description

Northrop Grumman is seeking an early-career Electrical Engineer to join our Avionics Digital Hardware Design team supporting the development of advanced spacecraft electronic systems.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Support the design and development of digital electronic circuits and circuit card assemblies used in spacecraft avionics.
• Develop and review electrical schematics involving digital logic, processors, memory devices, FPGAs, clocks, reset circuits, and digital interfaces.
• Perform circuit analysis, simulation, and basic design verification to evaluate digital hardware functionality and performance.
• Support component selection and collaborate with ECAD engineers during printed wiring board (PWB) design and layout.
• Participate in hardware integration, laboratory testing, debugging, and troubleshooting of digital electronic assemblies.
• Use laboratory test equipment, including oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers, and signal generators.
• Document engineering analyses, design decisions, test procedures, and verification results.
• Collaborate with senior engineers and multidisciplinary teams to support spacecraft hardware development.

Basic Qualifications

• Be completing or have completed a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with relevant graduate-level coursework, research, or a concentration in digital electronics, digital systems, embedded hardware, or computer architecture.
• Have a fundamental understanding of digital circuit design, digital logic, and electronic components.
• Have experience applying digital hardware design principles through university coursework, laboratory assignments, academic research, internships, or engineering projects.
• Have experience using digital circuit simulation, hardware design, schematic capture, or verification tools through academic coursework or projects.
• Have hands-on laboratory experience testing, measuring, or troubleshooting electronic circuits or digital hardware.
• Be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is required).
• No prior professional engineering experience is required.
• Relevant academic projects, research, and internship experience are acceptable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering with a concentration or research focus in Digital Systems, Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Digital Electronics, or related disciplines.
• Academic project or research experience involving digital circuit boards, microprocessors, microcontrollers, FPGAs, or embedded systems.
• Experience developing or analyzing digital hardware schematics and selecting electronic components.
• Familiarity with digital communication interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet, CAN, RS-422, or LVDS.
• Familiarity with FPGA design or verification using VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog.
• Experience with digital hardware development or simulation tools such as Vivado, Quartus, ModelSim, Questa, Altium, Cadence, or equivalent.
• Basic understanding of clocking, reset circuitry, timing analysis, signal integrity, or high-speed digital design principles.
• Experience integrating or troubleshooting hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or other electronic test equipment.
• Familiarity with Python, C/C++, or MATLAB for engineering analysis, automation, or embedded hardware development.
• Strong technical problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Overall cumulative GPA of 3.7/4.0 or higher.

Salary Electrical Engineer - Dulles, VA - $91,800 - $137,600

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.

We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space - our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.