Sr Principal Engineer Systems RF Communications

Northrop Grumman Corp. (AU); Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 124,900 - 187,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Health and life insurance

Paid holidays

PTO

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Corp. (AU) is seeking a Senior Principal Systems Engineer based in Cincinnati, Ohio. This role focuses on leading the Systems Engineering Group and managing the development of advanced RF hardware products for military customers.

The ideal candidate will possess significant experience in RF product design, team leadership, and will require a current active Top Secret clearance. Competitive salary between $124,900 and $187,300 is offered, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 8 years of progressive experience in a relevant field.
• Recent design experience with successful RF product designs.
• Experience leading engineering teams on technical projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead design efforts for new RF hardware products.
• Provide technical responsibility for RF systems development.
• Serve as primary contact for customers and engineering teams.

Skills

RF product design

Team leadership

Technical project assessment

MATLAB

Model-based system engineering

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering or other STEM field

Master of Science

PhD

Tools

Cameo

RF modeling software

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

Clearance required for start: Yes

Clearance type: Top Secret

Travel: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

Northrop Grumman is seeking a cleared or clearable Senior Principal Systems Engineer to lead the Systems Engineering Group in the successful completion of RF Communications projects. The role focuses on designing and developing advanced hardware products for military and intelligence customers, driving technical vision, and ensuring alignment between engineering effort and customer mission objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead design efforts for new hardware products that support National Defense partners.
• Provide overall technical responsibility for electrical design, development, integration, and test of RF systems.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external customers and internal engineering teams.
• Lead and mentor a cross‑disciplinary team of 5–10 engineers throughout the product lifecycle.
• Facilitate direct contact with end customers to gather feedback and perform technical reviews.
• Align technical solutions with business goals and program management deliverables.

Examples of Programs and Products at Xetron

• RF communication and collection systems
• RF electronic warfare (EW) systems
• Unique waveform communication products
• Innovative Digital Signal Processing (DSP) solutions

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or other STEM field plus 8 years of progressive experience, or Master of Science plus 6 years, or PhD plus 3 years of progressive experience.
• Recent design experience with a record of successful RF product designs.
• Experience leading engineering teams on recent technical development projects.
• Experience assessing project status in terms of technical, cost, and schedule execution.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Current active Top Secret clearance or higher.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as an IPT lead, functional lead, or military leadership role.
• Experience with model‑based system engineering concepts and platforms such as Cameo.
• Knowledge of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, MIL‑STD‑499, and/or INCOSE lifecycle processes.
• Experience integrating antenna, RF subsystems, and processing hardware/software into a complete system.
• RF modeling, simulation, and analysis including link budgets.
• MATLAB knowledge and/or experience.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and apply varied technologies quickly.
• Ability to serve as liaison to the customer for all engineering efforts.
• Strong collaboration skills within a team environment.

Benefits & Compensation

Northrop Grumman offers a competitive salary ranging from $124,900 to $187,300, along with 401(k) matching, health and life insurance, paid holidays, PTO, and a 9/80 work schedule. Salaries and bonuses are determined based on role scope, experience, education, and market factors.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit https://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO.