Sr Staff Engineer Guidance Navigation Control

Northrop Grumman; Manhattan Beach (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 289,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems seeks a Sr Staff Engineer in GNC, based in Roy, UT or Manhattan Beach, CA. Drive critical GNC program issues for the Sentinel program with strong leadership and cross-IPT collaboration.

This role requires a TS clearance, a solid background in HW/SW flight systems, and the ability to coordinate with the OCE and customer leadership. A 9/80 schedule and relocation support may apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Control Engineering or related STEM discipline.
• 14 years of related experience.
• Active Top Secret Clearance with recent investigation.
• Ability to obtain SAP approval.
• 14+ years in Guidance, Navigation & Controls or similar.
• Strong hardware/software flight systems background.
• HW/SW troubleshooting and root-cause analysis expertise.
• Familiarity with MRB/FRB processes, JCCB, MOC procedures.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office; JIRA/Confluence usage.
• Willingness to travel to customer sites/test ranges.

Responsibilities

• Own GNC issues from detection to resolution and flight-test acceleration.
• Lead root cause investigations and actionable resolution plans.
• Coordinate with IPTs and OCE for program milestones.
• Provide technical input to flight systems and trade studies.
• Co-chair design reviews and manage CRMs with USG.
• Lead MRBs/FRBs and ensure timely actions.
• Deliver technical recommendations to leads on schedule, cost, and performance.
• Ensure work products meet program quality standards.

Skills

GNC Systems

Root cause analysis

HW/SW troubleshooting

Embedded systems

Technical leadership

Education

B.S. Aerospace Engineering

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Git

MATLAB/Simulink

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

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 Defense Systems is seeking a Sr Staff Engineer Guidance Navigation Control . This position is located in Roy, Utah or Manhattan Beach, California and supports the Sentinel program.

What You Will Get To Do:

The GNC Technical Execution Deputy will help own and drive the most critical GNC program issues for the Sentinel program. The role combines deep technical expertise in guidance, navigation, and control hardware/software with strong leadership, stakeholder coordination, and issue resolution authority to keep the program on schedule, within performance budgets, and on a clear technical path forward.

• Own GNC issues, from issue identification through resolution and flight test acceleration.
• Lead root cause investigations, develop and execute detailed resolution plans, and ensure timely closure of open actions.
• Work daily with multiple Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) inside GNC.
• Liaise with the Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) to secure approvals for schedule acceleration and risk reduction actions.
• Secondary technical POC for NIXAG (customer technical leadership interface)
• Provide technical insight, influence NIXAG decisions, and shape inputs to Flight Systems (e.g., JCCB packages, Alternate PIGA, trade studies, Measure of Capability (MOC)).
• Co-chair design reviews; adjudicate CRMs with USG, coordinate RFAs and responses.
• Lead GNC level Material Review Boards (MRBs) and Failure Review Boards (FRBs).
• Determine and communicate the technical path forward for GNC issues, direct troubleshooting, and investigation effort.
• Deliver technical recommendations to IPT/Element/Segment leads that shape schedule, cost, and performance outcomes.
• Ensure the team’s work products meet program quality standards and are delivered on schedule.
• Partner with IPTs early in the development cycle to anticipate and prevent critical GNC issues.
• Drive schedule acceleration and risk mitigation measures, securing cross organizational stakeholder approval.
• Communicate complex technical status, risks, and decisions to senior leadership and customer representatives.
• Own all Measure of Capability (MOC) items and flight test acceleration activities linked to GNC.
• Coordinate test plan development, data collection, and analysis to validate GNC performance against Level 1 WSS requirements and Program KPPs.

This positions standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off. This role may offer a relocation assistance package.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Control Engineering or related STEM discipline

• 14 years of related experience

• Active Top Secret Clearance, at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years

• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs

• Minimum of 14 years of experience in Guidance, Navigation & Controls or comparable control systems engineering

• Strong background in hardware and/or software flight systems design, manufacturing, and test

• Expertise in HW/SW troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and failure review processes

• Experience leading detailed issue resolution plans from detection through closure.

• Extensive knowledge of GNC hardware, algorithms, accuracy trade studies, and embedded electronics

• Ability to integrate HW and SW perspectives for system level solutions

• Familiarity with MRB/FRB processes, JCCB packages, and MOC procedures

• Excellent written and oral communication

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite

• JIRA/Confluence or equivalent issue tracking tools

• Willingness to travel to customer sites and test ranges as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Controls, or a related engineering discipline.
• Advanced Education-Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline or certification in Systems Engineering, Project Management, or Six Sigma.
• Self starter with a record of leading senior technical staff
• Strong influence and negotiation skills with senior customer and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly to senior leadership and non technical audiences.
• Understanding of GNC Systems Engineering lifecycle and associated phases of development
• Experience in inertial sensor performance analysis
• Deep knowledge of GNC algorithm development, linear covariance analysis, modeling and simulation, control systems
• Experience in full software lifecycle: architecture, development, peer review, verification, performance analysis, implementation, integration, debug, and maintenance
• Experience with real time operating systems
• Experience in Design / Analysis of processor architecture, digital electronics architecture, actuator electronic design, analog sensor electronics design, power electronics design
• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded code (preferably MISRA C compliant)
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and code generation
• Use of version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience working in Model-Based Systems Engineering tools such as Cameo
• Understanding of requirements development/management using DOORS or similar tool(s)
• Experience working in Teamcenter PLM
• Experience working in Jira / Confluence
• Program Delivery-Prior experience delivering avionics or GNC units/systems to operational status.
• Technology Maturation-Background in technology readiness level (TRL) advancement, technology insertion, or developmental maturation activities.
• Systems Integration-Exposure to full system integration, especially within large scale defense programs.

Roy UT salary range: $166,500-$249,700

Manhattan Beach CA salary range: $192,800-$289,200

Primary Level Salary Range: $166,500.00 – $289,200.00

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