Principal / Sr Principal Engineer Aeronautical - VMS Hardware Avionics Lead

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 114,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems seeks a Principal Engineer Aeronautic or Sr Principal Engineer Aeronautic to lead the Vehicle Management Subsystem hardware avionics lead in Rancho Bernardo, CA. Responsibilities include directing system-level studies, translating needs into hardware requirements, and overseeing qualification testing.

The role requires STEM degrees with 5+ years (or 3+ with master's, 0+ with PhD), and ability to obtain US Government clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in STEM with 5+ years experience (Principal Engineer).
• Master's in STEM with 3+ years experience.
• PhD in STEM with 0+ years experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain US Government clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level trade studies and architecture development.
• Translate mission needs into hardware requirements and ICDs.
• Conduct feasibility analyses and select avionics components.
• Plan, execute and document qualification testing for subsystems.
• Develop software tools and automation using Python or MATLAB.
• Provide production and sustainment support and manage non-conformances.
• Mentor junior engineers and drive best practices across the team.
• Identify obsolescence and ensure supply chain continuity.

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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 Targets Program seeks a Principal Engineer Aeronautic or Sr Principal Engineer Aeronautic to be the Vehicle Management Subsystem (VMS) Hardware Avionics Lead in Rancho Bernardo, CA. The Lead is responsible for vehicle flight control and safety functions. The selected candidate will provide technical direction, hands on engineering, and cross functional integration for a portfolio including the power system, flight control computer, qualification testing, production & field support, and obsolescence mitigation.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead system level trade studies and architecture development – Evaluate power distribution alternatives, component selection, wiring harness sizing, EMC, thermal, weight, reliability, cost, and schedule impacts; produce recommendation reports and trade study deliverables.
• Capture and allocate requirements – Translate mission and customer needs into hardware requirements, develop interface control documents (ICDs), and maintain requirements traceability throughout the product life cycle.
• Perform conceptual and preliminary design – Conduct feasibility analyses, select generators, relays, bus bars, connectors, and other avionics components; size harnesses and assess integration constraints (mechanical, thermal, environmental).
• Plan, execute, and document qualification testing - Author test plans and procedures, coordinate test execution, collect and analyze data, and generate qualification test reports for recovery system, pressure transducer, actuator, and other subsystems.
• Develop and maintain software tools/automation – Create Python or MATLAB scripts for test automation, data processing, and modeling; manage version control and documentation of these tools.
• Provide production and sustainment support – Guide build to print manufacturing, actuator production, and repair activities; resolve production issues, issue Non-Conformance Reports, and support configuration management.
• Manage obsolescence and parts continuity – Identify legacy part gaps, evaluate substitute or redesign options, verify MIL STD compliance, and compile mitigation packages to ensure supply chain continuity.
• Author contract deliverables – Write Statements of Work (SOWs), Basis of Estimate (BOE) documents, trade study reports, and other contract artifacts; enforce configuration control procedures and formatting.
• Conduct risk, cost, and schedule – Serve as the focal interface with GNC, Mechanical, Standards, Supplier, and Program Management teams; ensure smooth hand offs between development phases.
• Mentor and lead technical staff – review work products, provide guidance and performance feedback to junior engineers, and champion best practice standards for design, testing, and documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement – Identify and implement process enhancements, affordability initiatives, and lessons learned activities across the VMS hardware avionics effort.

This position can be filled at either the Principal Engineer or Sr Principal Engineer level.

Basic Qualifications

Basic qualifications for a Principal Engineer include a Bachelor's in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) and at least 5 years of experience, a Master's Degree in STEM with 3 years of experience, or a PhD Degree with no experience Basic qualifications for a Sr. Principal Engineer include a Bachelor's in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) and at least 8 years of experience, a Master's Degree in STEM with 6 years of experience, or a PhD Degree with 3 years of experience Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Project, Visio) and MATLAB. Experience with computer hardware, embedded operating systems, and avionics subsystems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Clearance Level: Active U.S Government Secret clearance, with the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Top Secret Broad knowledge of mission‑critical avionics systems and power‑distribution design
• Experience with supplier management and Statements of Work
• Experience with proposal creation and Basis of Estimates
• Hardware integration on airborne platforms: Some experience
• Flight Test experience: Some experience
• Requirements development: Some experience
• Requirements verification testing: Some experience
• Proficiency with test equipment (oscilloscopes, signal generators, signal analyzers, multi-meters): Some experience

Salary

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.

Benefits

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.

Existing Applicants

Existing Applicants: Need to update your contact information or email address? Once logged in, click on Candidate Home in the upper right corner and scroll to the bottom of that screen to see buttons for: Update Contact information to update your legal name, address, and phone number Edit Account Settings to edit your email address.

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.