Space Vehicle Systems Engineer - Level 3

0909 SP - Orbital Space Systems; United States; On-site; USD 98,000 - 148,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision

401k

Educational Assistance

Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Programs

Paid Time Off

Health & Wellness Resources

Employee Discounts

Flexible Schedules

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Space Vehicle Systems Engineer - Level 3 to join our Space Systems Sector in Gilbert, Arizona. You will be part of a cross-disciplinary team guiding space vehicles from concept through launch and on-orbit operations, with on-floor integration and test support.

You will develop system requirements, own interface control documents, and present briefings for reviews and program status.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline plus 5+ years engineering experience, or Master’s with 3+ years.
• Proven technical problem-solving skills and system/subsystem understanding.
• Clear ability to present technical content to leadership or customers.

Responsibilities

• Lead on-floor integration, testing, and operational readiness of spacecraft and payloads.
• Develop and allocate system requirements, verification/validation planning, and traceability.
• Define interfaces and maintain interface control documents and engineering reports.
• Coordinate with program leads to resolve issues and drive decisions.
• Plan trade studies, system performance assessments, and CONOPS development.
• Create and present briefing materials for reviews and status meetings.
• Support electrical harness design, integration/test procedures, and space-vehicle modeling

Skills

Systems engineering

Problem solving

Communication skills

Space programs

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree in STEM

Tools

MATLAB

DOORS

CAMEO

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No CLEARANCE TYPE: Top 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.

Role Overview

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is seeking a Space Vehicle Systems Engineer - Level 3 to join our team in Gilbert, Arizona. Successful candidates for this position will play a key role as Space Vehicle Systems Engineers on a national security space program. This role blends classic systems engineering with on-floor support to integration, build, and test-putting you directly at the heart of assembling and bringing our spacecraft to life. You will be part of a cross-disciplinary team that takes space vehicles from early concept through launch and on-orbit operations. You don’t just hand off a design—you help guide it from concept through countdown and into orbit, contributing to fully mission-capable space vehicles for our customers. This Systems Engineer role is an individual-contributor position on a multi-disciplinary team. You will work on design, development, integration, and testing of space payloads, spacecraft buses, and complete mission space vehicles. If you’re excited to see your work on the factory floor and ultimately on orbit, we invite you to join our team and help push the boundaries of what is possible.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead and provide on-floor support to the integration, testing, and operational readiness of spacecraft and payloads
• Own and perform system and subsystem requirements development, allocation, and verification/validation planning, including traceability and closure
• Lead interface definition activities and develop/maintain interface control documents, specifications, and engineering reports
• Serve as a key technical point of contact with program, functional, and subsystem leads to resolve issues and drive decisions
• Plan and execute trade studies, system sensitivity and design optimization studies, system performance assessments, mission timelines, and CONOPS development
• Develop and present review and briefing materials for working groups, technical reviews, and program status meetings
• Lead or support tasks such as electrical harness interface design, integration and test procedure development, mechanical systems support, command and telemetry database development, and space vehicle configuration modeling

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 5+ years of engineering experience, or Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 3+ years of engineering experience
• Proven technical problem‑solving skills and demonstrated ability to understand and manage system and subsystem interactions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting technical content to leadership and/or customers
• Previous engineering experience on space programs, spacecraft development, or satellite operations
• Solid understanding of systems engineering functions (requirements, interfaces, verification/validation, risk, configuration management)
• Ability and willingness to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience in space systems, spacecraft design, or mission operations (vehicle, payload, or mission-level SE)
• Hands‑on experience with spacecraft/space system integration and test, launch, and/or mission operations
• Experience owning requirements development, decomposition, and allocation, and contributing to system architecture and CONOPS development
• Proficiency with one or more tools such as MATLAB, DOORS, or CAMEO
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: orbital mechanics, orbital debris modeling, spacecraft attitude control, power systems and modeling, avionics or digital electronics design, risk analysis, optics, communications, thermal design and analysis, or spacecraft/payload integration and testing
• Active or current U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site: Northrop Grumman Total Rewards As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for:

• -Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• -401k
• -Educational Assistance
• -Life Insurance
• -Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• -Paid Time Off
• -Health & Wellness Resources
• -Employee Discounts
• -Flexible Schedules: for example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work.

Salary

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00 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.

Equal Opportunity Statement

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.

Eligibility

U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Application Period

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.