Senior Space Systems Engineer — Top Secret Clearance

0909 SP - Orbital Space Systems; United States; On-site; USD 177,000 - 266,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Space Systems in Dulles, VA seeks an experienced Space Systems Engineer to join the Space Superiority Division. You will work on cross‑disciplinary teams to design, analyze, test, and deliver advanced spacecraft and mission systems for space security missions.

Responsibilities include developing architectures and CONOPS, performing mission analyses, specifying interfaces, and supporting verification, launch, and on‑orbit operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM and 12 years of applicable experience, or a Master’s Degree and 10 years of applicable experience, or a PhD and 8 years of applicable experience
• Requires an active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance at time of application
• Demonstrated experience supporting the design, development, integration, test, or operation of spacecraft, space-based systems, or space missions more broadly
• Demonstrated experience performing one or more systems-engineering functions, such as requirements development and management, interface definition and control, system architecture definition, concept of operations development, technical trade studies, or system verification and validation
• Experience collaborating across multiple engineering disciplines to resolve technical issues and develop integrated spacecraft or mission solutions
• Experience developing technical documentation and communicating complex engineering information to technical teams, program leadership, customers, or mission partners

Responsibilities

• Developing and evaluating spacecraft and mission architectures, concepts of operations (CONOPS), design reference missions, and operational scenarios
• Performing mission-level analyses and technical trade studies
• Assessing spacecraft day-in-the-life operations and developing mission sequences for launch, commissioning, on-orbit operations, RPO, and contingency scenarios
• Collaborating across spacecraft, payload, guidance, navigation and control (GNC), software, communications, ground, and mission-operations teams to develop an integrated spacecraft and mission solution
• Working with mission partners to model and mature mission elements, operational concepts, interfaces, and execution plans
• Supporting the development of new spacecraft and modification of existing spacecraft to enable an accelerated path from mission concept to launch and on-orbit operations
• Developing analysis, modeling, and automation tools to evaluate mission concepts, operational scenarios, design alternatives, and spacecraft performance
• Developing and managing mission, system, and subsystem requirements, including decomposition, allocation, traceability, verification, and validation
• Defining and managing internal and external interfaces among spacecraft, payloads, host vehicles, RPO sensor suites, ground systems, and mission partners
• Supporting spacecraft integration and test, mission-readiness activities, launch preparation, commissioning, and on-orbit execution
• Supporting major program milestones, technical reviews, and mission-readiness reviews by developing technical content and translating complex engineering information into clear assessments and briefings for customers, program leadership, and other key stakeholders
• Authoring and contributing to mission-engineering products, systems engineering artifacts, technical reports, and other critical program deliverables

Skills

Space systems engineering

Requirements management

System Architecture

MBSE

Python

MATLAB

STK

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Technical documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM (preferred)

PhD (preferred)

Tools

Python

MATLAB

STK

Job description

Northrop Grumman Space Systems in Dulles, VA seeks an experienced Space Systems Engineer to join the Space Superiority Division. You will work on cross‑disciplinary teams to design, analyze, test, and deliver advanced spacecraft and mission systems for space security missions.

Responsibilities include developing architectures and CONOPS, performing mission analyses, specifying interfaces, and supporting verification, launch, and on‑orbit operations.