Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman Corp. (AU); El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 114,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance may be available

9/80 work schedule

Learning opportunities

Friendly team environment

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer to lead system-level architecture for advanced aeronautics programs. The role requires MBSE expertise, SysML modeling, and cross-disciplinary collaboration—onsite in Redondo Beach and El Segundo, CA.

The candidate will mentor teams, drive requirements management, conduct trade studies, and shape verification strategies across lifecycle phases while navigating required security clearances.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM with 5+ years of related professional/military experience OR MSc with 3 years OR PhD with 1 year.
• Active US Government Secret clearance (or higher) with BI within past 6 years or Continuous Evaluation.
• Ability to obtain and maintain SAP clearance in a reasonable time.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML.
• Experience with requirements management tools (DOORS, Polarion, or equivalent).
• Experience in risk management methods (FMEA, FTA, risk registers).

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level architectures, concepts of operations, and interface definitions.
• Apply MBSE using SysML to produce system models and traceability.
• Drive requirements management and bidirectional traceability.
• Oversee risk management and support FMEA/FTA and risk registers.
• Conduct trade studies and system analyses to support architectural decisions.
• Define verification and validation strategies and support test planning.
• Coordinate cross-disciplinary teams for architecture integrity and system integration.
• Prepare architecture artifacts and documentation for stakeholders.
• Mentor systems engineers and establish MBSE best practices.

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time

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.

Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems – Research & Advanced Design (R&AD) transforms breakthrough ideas into mission-ready capabilities through intelligent anticipation. We’re the front-end design engine, defining what comes next. From developing cutting-edge next-generation future aircraft to trailblazing collaborative autonomous platforms, we push the boundaries of technology and forge industry-leading partnerships that set new standards for what’s possible.

Our team owns the full lifecycle of advanced concept creation, from visionary early-stage designs and rapid prototyping to high-impact demonstrations and solving the toughest technical challenges in survivability, autonomy, and battle management. We seek curious, adaptable people who thrive on turning intuition into breakthrough solutions. If you’re driven to invent the future, build what’s next, and shape the landscape of national security, this is where you belong.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer to join the team of qualified individuals on our Research and Advanced Design organization. This role is located onsite in Redondo Beach AND El Segundo, CA.

This role may be filled at the Principal OR Senior Principal level based on the qualifications listed, below

In this role, the Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer will lead system-level architecture definition and systems engineering activities for advanced aeronautics programs in the R&AD organization. The role requires strong general systems engineering skills including requirements management, risk management, architecture development, and hands‑on experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML. The Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer will define and evolve architectures for high-performance aircraft and/or unmanned systems, guide trade studies, and mentor multidisciplinary teams through concept, design, integration, and V&V phases.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead development of system-level architectures, concepts of operations, and interface definitions for advanced aeronautics projects.

• Apply MBSE using SysML to produce and maintain system models, traceability, and architectural views throughout the program lifecycle.

• Drive requirements engineering and configuration: elicit, decompose, allocate, and manage requirements; ensure bidirectional traceability.

• Perform and oversee risk management activities (identification, assessment, mitigation planning, and tracking); support FMEA/FTA and risk registers.

• Conduct trade studies, system analyses, and feasibility assessments to support architectural decisions

• Define verification & validation strategies and support test planning and integration activities.

• Coordinate cross-disciplinary engineering teams (hardware, software, avionics, propulsion, structures) and external partners/suppliers to ensure architectural integrity and system integration.

• Prepare technical briefings, architecture artifacts, and documentation for stakeholders and review boards.

• Mentor and provide technical leadership to systems engineers and architects; establish best practices for MBSE and systems engineering across projects.

We offer flexible work arrangements, 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.

Basic Qualifications (Principal):

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 3 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 1 years of related professional/military experience

• Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)

• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.

• Must have experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML—creating and maintaining SysML models and using MBSE to support requirements, design, and verification.

• Must have experience with requirements management (tools such as DOORS, Polarion, or equivalent), including requirements decomposition and traceability.

• Must have experience in risk management methods (e.g., FMEA, FTA, risk registers) and applying risk-informed design decisions.

• Must have experience developing system architectures, interface control documents (ICDs), and performing system-level trade studies.

• Must have familiarity with systems engineering lifecycle processes (V-model) and standards (e.g., INCOSE SE Handbook).

• Must have communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills; ability to present complex technical material clearly.

Basic Qualifications (Senior Principal):

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 8 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 6 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience

• Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)

• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.

• Must have experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML—creating and maintaining SysML models and using MBSE to support requirements, design, and verification.

• Must have experience with requirements management (tools such as DOORS, Polarion, or equivalent), including requirements decomposition and traceability.

• Must have experience in risk management methods (e.g., FMEA, FTA, risk registers) and applying risk-informed design decisions.

• Must have experience developing system architectures, interface control documents (ICDs), and performing system-level trade studies.

• Must have familiarity with systems engineering lifecycle processes (V-model) and standards (e.g., INCOSE SE Handbook).

• Must have communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills; ability to present complex technical material clearly.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree preferred in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

• Experience with SysML tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler, MagicDraw, or Enterprise Architect.

• Knowledge of aerospace architecture frameworks (DoDAF/UPDM) and model interchange standards (AP233, OSLC).

• Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink, model-based verification, or digital thread/MBSE toolchains.

• Experience with avionics, guidance & navigation, flight control systems, or propulsion integration.

• Prior experience in R&AD, prototype development, rapid iteration, or technology maturation programs.

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

Secondary 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.

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. 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.

Job Category: Engineering