Sr. Principal Systems Engineer - Technical Lead

Northrop Grumman Corp. (AU); Mesa (AZ); On-site; USD 122,800 - 184,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Corp. (AU) is seeking an experienced Sr. Principal Systems Engineer at our Mesa, AZ site. This role involves defining system requirements, managing configurations, and leading full-lifecycle system development.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and 8+ years of relevant experience. We offer a competitive salary range of $122,800.00 – $184,200.00, along with comprehensive benefits such as health insurance and paid time off.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Ability to obtain U.S. government clearance.
• Experience with complex aerospace or defense systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead requirements decomposition and system design documentation.
• Manage configuration and perform system testing.
• Create verification plans and ensure compliance with design reviews.

Skills

Requirements analysis

System design

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master’s degree in Engineering

Tools

DOORS

Job description

About the Role

Northrop Grumman is seeking an experienced Sr. Principal Systems Engineer – a technical lead for our Armament Systems business at our Mesa, AZ site.

Responsibilities

• Defined & Decomposed Requirements – Partner with leadership, program management, and stakeholders to capture, prioritize, and break down system/stakeholder requirements into clear, actionable work packages.
• System Design Documentation – Create and maintain technical specifications, interface diagrams, and performance charts to guide product development.
• System Architecture & Interface Control – Define the physical architecture (subsystems, assemblies, components) and maintain Interface Control Documents to ensure clear, traceable hand‑offs between teams.
• Configuration Management & Baseline Control – Manage baseline configuration items, version‑control processes, and change‑control boards to protect the approved design baseline during development.
• Customer‑Facing Technical Interface – Translate external customer needs into complete system solutions, deliver detailed technical briefings, and act as the single point of contact for all technical queries.
• Trade‑Study Execution & Risk Evaluation – Perform quantitative cost‑benefit, risk, and multi‑criteria trade‑study analyses; deliver risk matrices, mitigation plans, and reports that shape architecture and allocation decisions.
• Full‑Lifecycle System Development – Lead end‑to‑end development from concept definition and preliminary design through integration, test, verification, and validation, ensuring schedule and quality targets were met.
• Verification & Validation Planning – Develop comprehensive verification plans, test concepts of operation, and validation strategies aligned with system requirements, laying the groundwork for formal testing.
• Requirements Traceability Management – Implement and maintain end‑to‑end requirements traceability matrices linking stakeholder needs through design, verification, and validation artifacts.
• Hands‑On Test & Integration – Perform system‑level testing, hardware/software integration, troubleshooting, and drive root‑cause analysis to implement corrective actions.
• Reliability & Maintainability Optimization – Work directly with product teams to improve reliability, maintainability, and overall system performance using reliability‑centered design techniques.
• Process & Innovation Leadership – Lead continuous‑improvement initiatives within the engineering organization, delivering measurable gains in cycle time, defect reduction, or cost savings.
• Technical Communication – Prepare and present high‑impact technical reports, proposals, and data packages for internal reviews, program baselines, and client briefings, translating complex engineering data into clear business value.
• Design Review Leadership – Lead and facilitate formal Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) and Critical Design Reviews (CDR), documenting decisions, capturing action items, and ensuring compliance with program schedules and standards.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Systems, Mechanical, Computer, or Aerospace Engineering with 8+ years of relevant engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in any of the above disciplines with 6+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• U.S. Citizenship and eligibility to obtain a DoD Secret Clearance if necessary.
• Ability to obtain clearance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives as an Employee Possessor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree that aligns with Electrical, Systems, or Computer Engineering.
• Fast learner with a strong interest in hardware integration.
• Willingness to learn from mentors and peers.
• Experience in the sustainment of complex aerospace or defense systems.
• Proficiency with requirements database tool – DOORS.
• Works well in a small team environment.
• Background aligning with controls and controllers.
• A minimum of 5+ years of system design experience.
• Strong technical problem‑solving, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong resolve to drive tasks to completion autonomously.

Compensation and Benefits

Primary level salary range: $122,800.00 – $184,200.00. Additional compensation may include overtime, shift differential, discretionary bonus, and long‑term incentives for senior roles. Benefits include health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, company‑paid holidays, and paid time off for vacation or personal business.

EEO 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. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions requiring a government clearance. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, visit the official Northrop Grumman website.