Aeronautical Engineer or Principal Aeronautical Engineer – Subsystems Project Engineer

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 92,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking an Aeronautical Engineer or Principal Aeronautical Engineer – Subsystems Project Engineer for Palmdale, CA or San Diego, CA. You will lead multiple projects on a classified program, combining hands-on technical work with strong project management.

Expect exposure to Jira, Tableau, and Power BI for status reporting. The role requires a STEM degree and 0–5 years of related experience, with opportunities to advance and coordinate with senior

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant STEM discipline with 2 years of related experience or Master's with 0 years.
• Experience with project management tools and willingness to learn new tools.
• Understanding of the Engineering Life cycle process.
• Experience with data-driven decision making, budget management, organization, and clear communication across multiple levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and execution of multiple projects from concept through delivery.
• Engage in the proposal effort to develop proper requirements for execution.
• Identify and resolve technical issues; escalate to subject matter experts as needed.
• Own project schedules including milestones, dependencies, critical path, and resource loading.
• Develop and maintain schedule trackers, status dashboards, and action item logs.
• Monitor budgets, track actuals vs. plan, and support cost forecasting and variance analysis.
• Coordinate change management activities and document impacts on cost, schedule, and risk.
• Coordinate cross-functional work across engineering and manufacturing.
• Prepare and deliver presentations on progress, risks, and performance to customers and senior leadership.
• Serve as a primary contact for internal stakeholders and customer counterparts.

Skills

Project management

Data-driven decision making

Clear communication

Budget management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in STEM

Master's in STEM (bonus)

Tools

Jira

Tableau

Power BI

MS Project

Confluence

Job description

Relocation, Clearance, and Travel

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available. CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes. CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret. TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time.

Company Overview

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. Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.

Position Overview

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add an Aeronautical Engineer or Principal Aeronautical Engineer – Subsystems Project Engineer to our team in Palmdale, CA or San Diego, CA! This position will lead and coordinate multiple concurrent projects on a classified program within the Subsystems Mods team and combines hands‑on technical engagement with strong project management skills, including responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, risk, and communication across many levels including senior and executive leadership. In this role, you will use schedule trackers, leverage tools such as Jira, Tableau, and Power BI to present status or numerous projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and execution of multiple projects from concept through delivery.
• Engage in the proposal effort to develop proper requirements that can be communicated to the execution team
• Identify and resolve technical issues, escalating as needed to subject matter experts.
• Own project schedules including milestones, dependencies, critical path, and resource loading.
• Develop and maintain schedule trackers, status dashboards, and action item logs.
• Monitor project budgets, track actuals vs. plan, and support cost forecasting and variance analysis.
• Coordinate change management activities (scope changes, re-baselines) and document impacts on cost, schedule, and risk.
• Coordinate cross-functional work across engineering and manufacturing
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise presentations on technical progress, risks, and performance to customers and senior leadership.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for internal stakeholders and customer counterparts on assigned projects.
• Leverage data from multiple sources (project trackers, financial reports, engineering tools) to drive decisions and proactively manage risks and opportunities.

Basic Qualifications for Aeronautical Engineer

• Bachelors Degree in a relevant Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) discipline and 2 years of related experience OR a Masters Degree in a relevant STEM discipline with 0 years of related experience.
• Experience with project management tools and willingness and motivation to learn new tools.
• Understanding of the Engineering Life cycle process.
• Experience with data-driven decision making, budget management, organization, and clear communication across multiple levels of the organization.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance. This SAP must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.

Basic Qualifications for Principal Aeronautical Engineer

• Bachelors Degree in a relevant Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) discipline and 5 years of related experience; OR a Masters Degree in a relevant STEM discipline with 3 years of related experience; OR a PhD in a relevant STEM discipline and 1 year of related experience.
• Experience with project management tools and willingness and motivation to learn new tools.
• Understanding of the Engineering Life cycle process.
• Experience with data-driven decision making, budget management, organization, and clear communication across multiple levels of the organization.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance. This SAP must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.

Preferred Qualifications for both levels

• Applicable or previous program access (SAP)
• Electrical or Aerospace Engineering Degree
• Experience integrating mechanical and electrical subsystems on complex products or systems.
• Familiarity with additional tools (e.g., MS Project, Confluence, Jira, etc.)

Salary and Benefits

Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00

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.

Application Information

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.

U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

About Northrop Grumman

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.