Principal Test & Evaluation Engineer

Northrop Grumman; Melbourne (FL); On-site; USD 89,000 - 134,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Principal Test & Evaluation Engineer to join the team in Melbourne, FL. The role focuses on applying cutting-edge technologies to DoD programs, including RF testing, test plan development, and field demonstrations.

The position requires a Secret clearance, STEM degrees, and the ability to travel up to 25% within the continental U.S. This onsite role offers exposure to advanced projects and a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor/Master/PhD in STEM with related experience.
• Active US Government Secret clearance or higher required.
• Ability to obtain SAP clearance and travel up to 25%.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and analyze RF systems testing and integration activities.
• Develop comprehensive test plans, procedures, and reports for DoD programs.
• Oversee instrumentation setup, configuration, and management.
• Plan and conduct field demonstrations and exercises.

Skills

RF testing

Test plan development

DoD programs

Cloud environments

Field demonstrations

Travel readiness

Education

BS in STEM

MS in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

RF test equipment

Test automation tools

Cloud platforms

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 Test & Evaluation Engineer to join the team of qualified individuals on our Test and Evaluation team. This role is located onsite in Melbourne, FL.

In this role, the successful candidate will support the application of cutting-edge commercial technologies—such as 5G communications, machine learning, and emerging wireless solutions—to operational military use cases, enabling advanced battle-management capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and analyze RF systems testing and integration activities.
• Develop comprehensive test plans, procedures, and reports for DoD programs.
• Oversee instrumentation setup, configuration, and management.
• Plan and conduct field demonstrations and exercises.

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

• 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 RF test equipment for system verification and validation.
• Must have ability to generate test plans, procedures, and reports for DoD programs.
• Must have ability to perform system verification and validation for DoD programs.
• Must have experience working in cloud-based, hybrid-cloud, on-premise, and virtualized environments.
• Must have willingness and ability to travel within the continental U.S. up to 25% of the time.
• Must be able to lift up to 75lbs for transporting equipment for demonstrations

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD degree in a STEM discipline.
• Experience developing or testing RF microelectronics and related components.
• Proven track record creating test-automation and data-collection tools for efficiency and repeatability..
• Background as a Lab/SIL manager on DoD programs.

Primary Level Salary Range

$89,400.00 - $134,200.00

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.