Principal or Aeronautical Engineer–Subsystem Design Engineer

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 142,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems seeks a Sr. Principal Aeronautical Engineer – Subsystem Design Engineer in El Segundo or Palmdale, CA.

This on-site role requires a Secret clearance and involves designing avionics, control surfaces, and propulsion interfaces within a larger system context. You will translate complex system requirements into detailed subsystem specs, perform analyses and simulations, and contribute to documentation, tests, and cross-disciplinary activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher in a STEM field with extensive related experience.
• Proficiency with CAD/drafting tools and engineering drawings.
• Experience with requirements development and management practices.
• Experience with subsystem test planning and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Manufacturability considerations and configuration management.
• Active USG Secret clearance (or eligibility) and PAR access.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop subsystem components meeting performance and reliability goals.
• Translate system requirements into subsystem specs and drawings.
• Conduct trade studies and simulations to validate concepts.
• Create documentation including schematics and BOMs.
• Support integration with other engineering disciplines and tests.

Skills

Subsystem design

Engineering analysis

Requirements management

MBSE

System integration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's Degree in STEM

Master's Degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

CATIA

NX

SolidWorks

BOM creation

Job description

Job Details

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

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 Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Sr. Principal Aeronautical Engineer – Subsystem Design Engineer to join our team in El Segundo or Palmdale, CA.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop subsystem components (avionics, control surfaces, propulsion interfaces, environmental systems) meeting performance, weight, and reliability requirements.
• Translate system-level requirements into detailed subsystem specifications, interfaces, and engineering drawings.
• Perform trade studies, engineering analyses, and simulations (stress, aeroelasticity, thermal, vibration) to validate subsystem concepts and support design decisions.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, including schematics, bills of materials, test plans, and verification matrices.
• Support integration and interface activities with other engineering disciplines to ensure subsystem compatibility and compliance.
• Plan, execute, and analyze subsystem-level tests (bench, hardware-in-the-loop, environmental) and resolve design deficiencies through corrective actions.
• Contribute to configuration management, design reviews, risk assessments, and continuous improvement activities to ensure producible, maintainable subsystem designs.

Basic Qualifications (Level 4)

• Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) 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 and 4 years of related engineering experience.
• Proficiency with CAD and drafting tools (e.g., CATIA, NX, SolidWorks) and creation of engineering drawings and BOMs.
• Experience of requirements development and management practices and tools.
• Experience with subsystem test planning, execution, troubleshooting, and hardware-in-the-loop or bench testing.
• Experience with manufacturing/ producibility considerations, design for maintainability, and configuration management processes.
• Active USG Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
• Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Access Program (SAP) access via a Program Access Request (PAR).
• This SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
• Ability to obtain and maintain subsequent SAP PARs following commencement of employment to be able to completely support statement of work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
• Active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance or higher (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
• Experience integrating avionics, flight control electronics, sensors, or actuators.
• Proficiency with MBSE and simulation.
• Familiarity with certification processes.
• Experience performing engineering analyses and simulations (structural, thermal, vibration, aeroelastic) using tools such as Nastran, Ansys, MATLAB/Simulink.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required.

Primary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00 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.

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.