Principal / Sr. Principal Network Engineer

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 99,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Principal Network Engineer / Sr. Principal Network Engineer to support the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) department as part of the GC2S BU. This on‑site role in Huntsville, AL requires DoD Secret clearance and a strong background in IP networking and SD‑WAN.

You will develop and support mission‑critical infrastructure, create detailed network diagrams, and ensure security standards. Collaboration with cross‑team engineers is essential for successful deployments.

Qualifications

• US citizen with an Active DoD Secret clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in STEM with 5+ years of experience, Master's with 3+ years, or 10+ years in lieu of degree.
• Strong understanding of IP networking fundamentals (routing, switching, TCP/IP, VLANs, VPNs, QoS, DNS, DHCP).
• Experience engineering, implementing, or operating SD‑WAN solutions (e.g., Cisco, Viptela, Fortinet, Versa).
• Experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS/Azure/GCP) focusing on networking (VPC/VNet, security groups, load balancers, site‑to‑site VPNs).
• Hands‑on experience with network automation using Python and Ansible (playbooks, roles, dynamic inventory, templates).
• Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) or similar device onboarding workflows.
• Familiarity with FedRAMP/NIST RMF security/compliance in cloud and network designs.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, troubleshoot complex network solutions across on‑prem and cloud.

Responsibilities

• Provide onsite engineering and administrative support for a team of engineers and testers.
• Develop, implement, and support mission‑critical infrastructure solutions.
• Analyze existing networks and recommend changes to drive efficiencies.
• Create and maintain network diagrams and topology documentation.
• Collaborate with mission system developers to deploy customer solutions.
• Maintain STIG configurations for network devices; respond to security findings.

Skills

IP Networking fundamentals

SD-WAN experience

Python & Ansible

Zero Touch Provisioning

FedRAMP/NIST RMF

Cloud networking

Documentation skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelors degree in STEM

Masters degree

PhD (or equivalent)

Tools

SD‑WAN products (Cisco, Viptela, Fortinet, Versa)

Cloud providers (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Job description

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 is 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 is looking for a Principal Network Engineer / Sr. Principal Network Engineer to support our Foreign Military Sales (FMS) department as part of the Global Command and Control Solutions (GC2S) Business Unit (BU). As a member of the FMS department you’ll work in a fast-paced team environment alongside engineers of all flavors to make our technologies a reality. This position will serve on-site at an NG Facility in Huntsville, AL. This position can be filled at a Principal Network Engineer or Sr. Principal Network Engineer level. Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.

Responsibilities

• Provide Engineering and Administrative support onsite for a team of engineers and testers, often deviating from industry standard procedures to meet mission needs but maintaining system security standards
• Develop, implement, and support solutions for systems that support mission critical and mission essential infrastructure
• Analyze existing systems & networks and make proactive recommendations to drive change and create efficiencies
• Creates and maintains clear, accurate network diagrams and topology documentation to support troubleshooting, change management, and cross-team collaboration
• Collaborate with mission system developers to create and deploy solutions in support of customer mission needs
• Maintain, evaluate, test, and apply STIG configurations for network devices
• Respond to security findings and Break Fix events across the infrastructure
• Create and maintain network documentation including but not limited to Standard Operating Procedures and VISIO diagrams

Principal Network Engineer Basic Qualifications

• US citizen with an Active DoD Secret clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in STEM with 5 years of experience, Master's degree with 3 years of experience, or 10 years of experience in lieu of degree
• Strong understanding of IP networking fundamentals (routing, switching, TCP/IP, VLANs, VPNs, QoS, DNS, DHCP)
• Experience engineering, implementing, or operating SD‑WAN solutions (e.g., Cisco, Viptela, Fortinet, Versa, etc.)
• Experience with at least one major cloud service provider (e.g., AWS, Azure, or GCP) with a focus on networking (VPC/VNet, security groups/NSGs, load balancers, site‑to‑site VPNs, Direct Connect/ExpressRoute)
• Hands‑on experience with network automation using Python and Ansible (playbooks, roles, dynamic inventory, templates)
• Experience with Zero‑Touch Provisioning (ZTP) or similar automated device onboarding and configuration workflows
• Familiarity with FedRAMP and/or other U.S. government security/compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST 800‑53, RMF) as they apply to cloud and network designs
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and troubleshoot complex network solutions across on‑prem and cloud environments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document designs and implementation procedures

Senior Principal Network Engineer Basic Qualifications

• US citizen with an Active DoD Secret clearance
• 8 Years of experience with Bachelor’s degree; 6 Years with Masters; 4 Year with PhD; 12 years of experience in lieu of a degree
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related STEM field; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in network engineering in an enterprise or service provider environment
• Strong understanding of IP networking fundamentals (routing, switching, TCP/IP, VLANs, VPNs, QoS, DNS, DHCP)
• Experience engineering, implementing, or operating SD WAN solutions (e.g., Cisco, Viptela, Fortinet, Versa, etc.)
• Experience with at least one major cloud service provider (e.g., AWS, Azure, or GCP) with a focus on networking (VPC/VNet, security groups/NSGs, load balancers, site to site VPNs, Direct Connect/ExpressRoute)
• Hands‑on experience with network automation using Python and Ansible (playbooks, roles, dynamic inventory, templates)
• Experience with Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) or similar automated device onboarding and configuration workflows
• Familiarity with FedRAMP and/or other U.S. government security/compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST 800 53, RMF) as they apply to cloud and network designs
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and troubleshoot complex network solutions across on prem and cloud environments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document designs and implementation procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of dynamic routing protocols
• Firm understanding of commands and or firewall concepts
• Previous experience troubleshooting network procedures and best practices; experience with network challenges associated with systems integration, including COTS integration, and capacity analysis.
• Experience with Linux and Windows operating systems
• Experience with virtualization technologies (e.g., Red Hat KVM, VMware, libvirt/virsh, Docker, and Kubernetes)
• Previous experience contributing to building ATO packages
• Experience working in Agile and O&M environments.
• Experience with Foreign Military Sales Programs

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $123,400.00 - $185,000.00

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.

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.