Sr Principal Systems Engineer (DTS) (26-373)

Socket.dev; Colorado; On-site; USD 129,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Plan

Savings Plan

Paid Time Off

Education Assistance

Training and Development

Flexible Work Arrangements

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Space Systems- Missile Defense Integration in Colorado Springs, CO, seeks a Sr Principal Systems Engineer (DTS) to lead the distributed test system development for C2BMC. The role focuses on architecture, design, integration, and verification, coordinating with internal teams and external contractors.

You should have a STEM degree with significant systems engineering experience on defense programs, active Secret clearance, and strong communication skills to support government

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a STEM field with 8 years of experience; or Master's with 6 years; or PhD with 4 years.
• Active Secret security clearance required to start
• 3–5 years of full life-cycle systems engineering on complex defense programs

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for DTS development activities, serving as the primary systems engineering point of contact for DTS architecture, design, integration, and verification
• Identify technical issues and risks across the C2BMC enterprise and coordinate resolution with internal teams and stakeholders
• Coordinate with contractors responsible for developing sim/stim equipment to meet interfaces, performance, and mission objectives
• Oversee DTS integration and test activities with the test and integration team
• Report status at program and technical meetings with clear risk posture and mitigation plans
• Engage with Government customers to understand requirements and ensure DTS capabilities align with needs

Skills

Systems engineering

DTS development

Test & integration

Leadership

Communication

Education

STEM degree

Tools

Virtualization

Servers

Networks

Storage

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: 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- Missile Defense Integration offers an excellent opportunity for a Sr Principal Systems Engineer (DTS) (26-373) to join our team of skilled and diverse professionals. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, this role is essential to supporting the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at the strategic, regional, and operational levels.

This position does not provide relocation assistance and requires on-site work with no remote options.

Position Overview:

The Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) program is a key component of the Missile Defense System (MDS). It is a vital operational system that enables the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at strategic, regional, and operational levels to plan ballistic missile defense operations systematically, collectively monitor the battle, and dynamically control networked sensors and weapon systems to achieve global and regional mission goals. C2BMC supports layered missile defense capabilities that enable an optimized response to threats across all ranges and flight phases. It serves as a force multiplier by networking, integrating, and synchronizing autonomous sensor and weapon systems and operations - both globally and regionally to improve performance. C2BMC is essential for all ground and flight tests that verify and demonstrate the current and future capabilities of missile defense systems.

Within this context, the DTS Systems Engineer will provide technical leadership for the system's Distributed Test System (DTS) development, ensuring that simulation and stimulation (sim/stim) capabilities are robust, integrated, and aligned with mission and training needs.

Essential Functions:

• Provide technical leadership for DTS development activities, serving as a primary systems engineering point of contact for DTS architecture, design, integration, and verification

• Identify technical issues and risks across the C2BMC enterprise and coordinate resolution with internal teams, associate contractors, and stakeholders

• Coordinate closely with associate contractors responsible for developing sim/stim equipment, ensuring interfaces, performance, and mission objectives are met

• Work hand-in-hand with the test and integration team to provide oversight, technical direction, and systems engineering rigor throughout DTS integration and test activities

• Report status at program and technical meetings, providing clear, concise updates on DTS progress, risk posture, and mitigation plans

• Collaborate with Task Order management to address work scope questions, identify potential improvements, and support planning for follow-on task orders and future DTS increments

• Engage directly with Government customers to understand requirements, address questions and concerns, and ensure DTS capabilities align with operational and training needs

• Support requirements definition, allocation, and traceability for DTS-related capabilities, ensuring a coherent, testable system baseline

• Contribute to continuous improvement of DTS processes, tools, and documentation to enhance system reliability, maintainability, and scalability

Basic Qualifications:

Please list your current security clearance and IAT or relevant certifications on your resume, if applicable.

• A Bachelor's Degree in a STEM field in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 8 years of experience; or a Master's degree (preferred) in a STEM field with 6 years of relevant work experience; or a PhD in a related discipline with 4 years of relevant work experience

• Applicants must have a current, active in-scope Government-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start

• Systems Engineering Experience: 3–5 years of full life-cycle systems engineering on complex defense programs, with a strong emphasis on designing, integrating, and validating IT-centric solutions (servers, networks, storage, virtualization)

• Customer Deliverable Background: Direct experience supporting a DoD or government program that delivers operational software or training systems to an external customer, with a proven record of meeting schedule, cost, and performance targets

• Communication Proficiency: Excellent written and oral communication skills; comfortable producing technical reports, requirements documents, and briefings for senior leadership and non-technical stakeholders

• Some travel may be required to support test events, customer engagements, and coordination with partner sites

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Systems Engineering is highly preferred

• Certification: INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) Certification

• Certification: Object Management Group Certified Systems Modeling Professional - Model Builder Fundamental (OCSMP - MBF)

• IT Infrastructure Expertise: Demonstrated capability to architect, deploy, and manage robust, secure, and scalable compute, storage, and network platforms - leveraging virtualization and container technologies to support high-performance missile defense simulation environments

• Technical Interface Development: Systems-engineered design and validation of the interfaces that connect simulation components (e.g., physics engines, command-and-control systems, visual displays) into a cohesive, high-performance environment

• Domain Knowledge - IAMD: Familiarity with ballistic missile defense and Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) concepts (e.g., C2BMC, GMD, THAAD) to understand dataflow, timing requirements, and operational context of the simulation environment

• Requirement Translation & Management: Skilled at converting high-level operational needs into a coherent, traceable set of IT infrastructure and system requirements that drive design, procurement, integration, and fielding

• Training System Integration: Experience integrating IT infrastructure with training system components (scenario loaders, real-time data feeds, instructor-of-record consoles) used in missile defense exercises and live-fire events

• Communication Excellence: Ability to produce clear, concise documentation and to present technical approaches and findings to senior leadership, customers, and interdisciplinary audiences

What We Can Offer You:

Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive work environment that encourages your growth, benefiting both employees and the company. The benefits are flexible and customizable, enabling you to choose options that suit your individual and family needs. Your benefits will include the following:

• Health Plan

• Savings Plan

• Paid Time Off

• Education Assistance

• Training and Development

• Flexible Work Arrangements

https://benefits.northropgrumman.com/us/en2/BenefitsOverview/Pages/default.aspx

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Primary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00The 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.