Cyber Systems Engineer - Level 4

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 135,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Cyber Systems Engineer – Level 4 in Chandler, AZ. You will define, integrate, and validate the security posture of complex missile/weapon systems, combining SSE, cybersecurity, Anti‑Tamper, exportability, and supply-chain risk management.

You will translate requirements into secure system solutions, guide technical direction, and mentor engineers across design reviews, with responsibility for critical security artifacts and program protection activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 8+ years of professional experience or Master’s with 6 years or PhD with 4 years.
• Experience applying systems engineering processes to complex systems across lifecycle stages.
• Experience with security architecture, development and allocation of requirements, risk assessment, and countermeasure definition.
• Demonstrated experience with Anti‑Tamper design for protecting Critical Program Information on classified US Government programs.
• Working knowledge of US Government and NIST security engineering processes and frameworks.
• Experience evaluating embedded hardware, firmware, software, or components for secure operation.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority for SSE, cybersecurity, AT, exportability, and supplier risk across a major system program.
• Develop and maintain system security architecture, strategy, and security engineering approach across the lifecycle.
• Lead security reviews, risk assessments, and verification and validation activities.
• Coordinate and produce key program security artifacts such as the System Security Plan and related guides.
• Mentor junior engineers and collaborate with cross‑functional teams including procurement and program management.

Skills

System security architecture

Security requirements development

Risk assessment

Anti-Tamper design

Program Protection

Supply-chain risk management

Security leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree (preferred)

PhD (optional)

Tools

NIST SP800-160 knowledge

Job description

Relocation and Clearance

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

About Northrop Grumman

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 Overview

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems sector is seeking a Cyber Systems Engineer – Level 4 to join our team in Chandler, Arizona. The selected candidate will serve as a senior technical leader responsible for defining, integrating, and validating the security posture of a complex missile or weapon system throughout its lifecycle. This role combines systems engineering with Systems Security Engineering (SSE), cybersecurity, Anti-Tamper (AT), exportability, Program Protection, and supply‑chain risk management. The Cyber Systems Engineer - Level4 will translate customer and product requirements into secure, integrated system solutions that account for technical performance, cost, schedule, risk, supportability, and lifecycle constraints. The individual will help establish technical direction, lead security engineering activities and design reviews, mentor engineering staff, and communicate with program leadership, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Essential Functions and Key Responsibilities

Serve as a senior technical authority for SSE, cybersecurity, AT, exportability, supply‑chain risk management, and Program Protection activities across a major missile or weapon system program. Develop and maintain the system security architecture, technical strategy, implementation roadmap, and security engineering approach across the system lifecycle. Perform technical planning, system integration, requirements analysis and allocation, interface definition, trade studies, risk analysis, and verification and validation for total system solutions. Support engineering activities across concept development, design, fabrication, integration, test, installation, operation, sustainment, and disposal. Convert customer, mission, and product requirements into logical and systematic system solutions that account for technical, schedule, cost, supportability, and security constraints. Perform functional analysis, timeline analysis, detailed trade studies, requirements allocation, and interface studies to translate customer requirements into hardware, firmware, and software specifications. Lead the identification, assessment, and classification of Critical Program Information and critical components. Conduct advanced threat, vulnerability, and security risk assessments and recommend risk-response strategies. Lead security trade studies that balance protection effectiveness, mission performance, cost, schedule, technical maturity, exportability, and residual risk. Develop, review, and coordinate key program security artifacts, including the Program Protection Plan, System Security Plan, Security Classification Guide, Anti‑Tamper Plan, exportability assessments, supply‑chain risk assessments, requirements compliance matrices, and related documentation. Define, allocate, and maintain traceability of security requirements across system, subsystem, hardware, firmware, software, and supplier elements. Oversee the implementation of technical and nontechnical security controls across design, integration, production, operation, sustainment, and disposal. Evaluate hardware, firmware, software, interfaces, and supply‑chain elements for secure operation, compliance, and exposure to capable adversaries. Ensure security engineering activities align with applicable contractual requirements, government direction, and US Government and NIST guidance, including NIST SP800‑160 and the Risk Management Framework. Lead or support security verification and validation, technical reviews, security testing, certification and authorization activities, risk acceptance documentation, and closure of technical findings. Assess the effectiveness of security requirements and countermeasures using objective evidence, analysis, inspection, demonstration, and test. Lead security content for major program and design reviews and communicate security posture, residual risk, technical issues, and mitigation strategies to program leadership and customer stakeholders. Collaborate with systems engineering, software, hardware, test, safety, specialty engineering, supply chain, program management, and security organizations. Mentor junior and mid‑level engineers and provide technical direction, training, work‑product reviews, and support for professional development.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 8 years of professional experience – OR – Master’s degree with 6 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 4 years of professional experience.
• Experience applying systems engineering processes to complex systems across multiple lifecycle stages.
• Experience with system security architecture, security requirements development and allocation, risk assessment, countermeasure definition, and verification planning.
• Demonstrated experience with Anti‑Tamper design or implementation for protecting Critical Program Information on classified US Government programs.
• Working knowledge of applicable US Government and NIST security engineering processes and frameworks, such as US Government Anti‑Tamper guidance, NIST SP800‑160, and the Risk Management Framework.
• Experience evaluating embedded hardware, firmware, software, interfaces, or system components for compliance and secure operation.
• Ability to lead technical activities, communicate complex security matters, and collaborate with program leadership, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication, technical leadership, and mentoring skills.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Requires an active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting complex embedded missile, weapon, or High Assurance Device development programs.
• Experience developing or leading system security architecture across the full system lifecycle.
• Experience authoring or leading Program Protection Plans, Security Classification Guides, Anti‑Tamper Plans, exportability assessments, supply‑chain risk assessments, System Security Plans, or similar program security artifacts.
• Experience with requirements management, bidirectional traceability, interface definition, security compliance matrices, and model‑based systems engineering.
• Knowledge of threat‑modeling methods, advanced adversary capabilities, reverse‑engineering threats and countermeasures, hardware assurance, firmware security, tamper resistance, and security verification and validation.
• Experience supporting security certification, authorization, compliance assessments, technical evaluations, or government security reviews.
• Experience leading cross‑functional trade studies, risk assessments, and cost, schedule, performance, and security decisions.
• Experience directing or mentoring SSE, AT, cybersecurity, hardware, firmware, or software engineering personnel.
• Ability to communicate system security posture, technical risk, and mitigation recommendations to senior leaders and government customers.

Salary and Benefits

Northrop Grumman Total Rewards #SPEnhancedERAP Primary Level Salary Range: $135,000.00 - $202,600.00

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.

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.

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.

Equal Opportunity and Eligibility

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.

Additional Information

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.