Senior System Engineer — Mission Operations SME

ngc; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 177,000 - 266,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision coverage

401k

Educational assistance

Life Insurance

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector seeks a System Engineer Level 5 – Mission Operations SME in Redondo Beach, CA. This full-time role requires active SCI/TS clearances and involves leading mission operations, CONOPS development, and cross-functional coordination. Relocation assistance may be available.

The position emphasizes developing procedures, playbooks, and tools, while mentoring teams and ensuring ethical, high-integrity operations. Travel up to 10% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM plus 12 years of related engineering experience, or Master’s degree in STEM plus 10 years.
• Minimum 6 years’ experience with space vehicle operations or operational development.
• Active SCI at time of application or
• Active TS clearance at time of application and prior to start date, with ability to obtain/maintain SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the definition of how to execute an evolving mission set.
• Own the development of CONOPS for complex mission sets from vision to operational employment.
• Translate CONOPS into detailed procedures, checklists, and playbooks for operational use.
• Drive the roadmap and development of tools, products, and processes for mission operations.
• Plan, lead, and evaluate operational rehearsals, simulations, and mission demonstrations.
• Document system operations, hardware configurations, and software behaviors with high quality.

Skills

System engineering

Mission operations

Leadership

Security clearance

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree in STEM

Job description

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector seeks a System Engineer Level 5 – Mission Operations SME in Redondo Beach, CA. This full-time role requires active SCI/TS clearances and involves leading mission operations, CONOPS development, and cross-functional coordination. Relocation assistance may be available.

The position emphasizes developing procedures, playbooks, and tools, while mentoring teams and ensuring ethical, high-integrity operations. Travel up to 10% is expected.