Principal Engineer Electronics OR Sr. Principal Engineer Electronics (Levels 3 or 4)

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 93,300 - 139,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

0090 CORP-Corporate Office is seeking an on-site engineer to manage communications and payload subsystems. The selected candidate will receive training at multiple U.S. locations and must work full-time on-site with no remote option available.

This role requires a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline, an active DoD Top Secret clearance, and experience in troubleshooting and engineering.

Significant benefits include health insurance and a competitive salary ranging from $93,300 to $139,900 based on experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a STEM discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience.
• Active DoD Top Secret clearance required.
• Competence in Linux and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Represent the organization as the on-site engineer.
• Apply system knowledge to communicate complex technical issues.
• Provide real-time support to flight operations.

Skills

Linux

Troubleshooting

Engineering documents

Payload operations

Networking operations

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM discipline

Master’s Degree in a STEM discipline

PhD in a STEM discipline

Tools

network analyzers

spectrum analyzers

signal generators

CCNA

CCNP

Job description

Relocation Assistance

Relocation assistance may be available.

Clearance

Clearance required for start: Yes.
Clearance type: Top Secret.

Travel

Travel: Yes, up to 10% of the time.

Employment Location

The selected candidate will receive training at multiple U.S. locations such as Rancho Bernardo, CA, Jacksonville, FL, and/or Baltimore, MD, with a final assignment location in Whidbey Island, WA. The position requires full‑time on‑site work at the facility; no remote work is available.

Shift Schedule

Initially, a 9/80 shift. As the program matures, shifts will become 12‑hour shifts that may include nights, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Represent the organization as the on‑site engineer for communications, networks, and payload subsystems.
• Apply system knowledge to communicate complex technical issues to local site leadership, the Degrader Action Cell (DAC), Forward Operation Bases (FOBs), and Responsible Engineers (REs).
• Under direction of the DAC as system Technical Authority, review and analyze engineering schematics, NGC and supplier design data, and functional test artifacts to troubleshoot system issues.
• Act as liaison for internal Northrop Grumman engineering teams to ensure repeated success, providing redlines to procedures when necessary.
• Provide real‑time support to flight operations and address any issues related to communications and/or payloads (MFAS Radar, EO/IR, airborne recorder, and Link16) to include fault isolation, remediation, and resolution.
• Follow priorities set by local site leadership, perform system performance evaluations, and assist with trend analysis as needed for Responsible Engineers (REs).
• Interact with local site leadership and Active Duty/Government customers on technical matters that often require coordination between organizations.
• Coordinate work with site leadership and confirm that Maintenance Action Forms (MAFs) are in place for all required work.
• Perform nominal recovery procedures and provide immediate feedback to Government Mission Payload Operators (MPOs) during sorties.
• Assist Government Air Vehicle Operators (AVOs) with Main Operating Base communications (voice), networks, and other AVO interfaces.
• Capture relevant information from shift logs, perform hotwash after sorties, and deliver pass‑down to the ongoing support team.
• Attain and employ expertise across all supported sensor and communications systems.

Basic Qualifications

• T03: Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years of related engineering experience; or a PhD in a STEM discipline.
• T04: Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related engineering experience; or a PhD in a STEM discipline with 3 years of related engineering experience.
• Must have an active DoD Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation).
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain SCI access.
• Must have the ability to obtain a CI Polygraph.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, which must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company.
• Ability to obtain and maintain DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification (examples: CCNA Security, Security+CE, CCNP, CISSP). Certificate must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company.
• Competence in Linux, troubleshooting, engineering documents, tools, and equipment.
• Familiarity with payload operations or communications/networking operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification.
• Demonstrated understanding of MQ‑4C sensors and communications payloads.
• CCNA / CCNP Certification.
• Experience with test equipment: network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators.
• MPO/TC operator system knowledge.
• System Administrator experience.
• Operations and Maintenance experience at a field site.

Salary

Primary Level: $93,300.00 - $139,900.00.
Secondary Level: $116,300.00 - $174,500.00.
The salary range represents a general guideline; Northrop Grumman considers various factors such as scope and responsibilities, candidate experience, education, skills, and 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 reward individual contributions and allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.

Benefits

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.

EEO Statement

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.

Citizenship

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