Sr Principal Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman; Gilbert (AZ); On-site; USD 123,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

401k plan

Educational assistance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Space Systems in Gilbert, Arizona is seeking an experienced Space Systems Engineer to join a rapidly growing team. You will work as an on‑site individual contributor focusing on space payloads, spacecraft buses, and mission space vehicles from concept through launch and on‑orbit operations.

You’ll be part of a cross‑disciplinary team, guiding designs from concept to countdown and orbit, ensuring fully mission‑capable vehicles and strong integration with a multi‑disciplinary

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in STEM with several years of systems-engineering experience.
• Experience performing requirements development, interface control, architecture definition, and verification.
• Ability to communicate complex engineering information to various audiences.

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.
• 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.

Skills

Requirements development

Interface definition

System architecture

Trade studies

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM

Tools

MATLAB

STK

CORE

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

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 Space Systems in Gilbert, Arizona is seeking an experienced Space Systems Engineer to join our rapidly growing team!

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 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) with 8+ years of relevant experience OR Master's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) with 6+ years of relevant experience
• 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.
• Demonstrated experience supporting the design, development, integration, test, or operation of spacecraft, space-based systems, or space missions more broadly.
• Ability and willingness to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in technical or project leadership positions
• Experience in spacecraft/space system integration & test, launch, and/or mission operations
• Experience and/or training in Earned Value Management
• Experience in system architecture, CONOPs development, or model-based system engineering
• Experience with various technical tools such as MATLAB, STK, CORE, DOORS, or CAMEO
• Knowledge of Launch Vehicles, System Safety, System Reliability, Contamination Control, EMI, Space Environments (Radiation, Surface Charging, etc.), and Human Factors is also desired.
• Active or current U.S. Government Top Secret or TS/SCI security clearance

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. 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.

Primary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00

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.