Staff Principal Engineer Electronics

ngc; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 177,000 - 266,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Travel 10% of the time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems in San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) seeks a Staff Principal Electronics Engineer - Networks to advance secure, scalable enterprise networks for the MQ-4C Triton program. The role emphasizes architecture, operations and modernization of network infrastructure, with travel up to 10%.

Responsibilities include design, configuration and troubleshooting of routers, switches and firewalls; documentation; and cross‑functional collaboration with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Active DoD Secret clearance with ability to obtain TS clearance.
• Experience with airborne networks, tactical links and sat comms.
• Proficient with Cisco devices, IP subnetting and routing protocols.
• Understanding of DMVPN, GRE, IPsec, QoS, VLANs and multicast.
• Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement and support network infrastructure components.
• Develop and maintain network diagrams and standards.
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex issues.
• Collaborate with engineers to integrate network solutions.

Skills

Network design

Cisco IOS/IOS-XE

BGP/OSPF/EIGRP

Network troubleshooting

Security hardening

Documentation & diagrams

MS Office (Visio)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

Cisco IOS/IOS-XE

SNMP

GNS3/CML

VMware

Windows/Linux

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: 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 Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Staff Principal Electronics Engineer - Networks to join our team in San Diego (Rancho Bernardo), CA. This position will be in our Avionics Integration Organization supporting MQ-4C Triton Program.

We are seeking highly experienced engineers to support the design, development and optimization of secure, scalable and high-performance enterprise network infrastructures. Selected candidate will play a key role in network architecture, operations and modernization efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Design, implement and support network infrastructure components (Routers/Switches/Firewalls)
• Develop and maintain network documentation, diagrams and standards.
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex network issues, support incidents response as needed.
• Trade studies, documenting subsystem architectures, analyzing performance, and evaluating Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
• Collaborate with engineers and program stakeholders to integrate network solutions

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. Once established in role, the position could potentially offer a hybrid work environment. Scheduled teleworker days are approved at manager's discretion. This position requires the ability to travel up to 10% of the time.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 12 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 10 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline with 7 years of related engineering experience.
• Must have an active in-scope, DoD Secret clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Top Secret clearance once in position.
• Must have an active DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification. Examples include: CCNA Security, Security+CE, CCNP, and CISSP.
• Experience with airborne networks, tactical links and satellite communications to include common commercial and military BLOS and LOS links
• Experience in deploying, configuring, and security hardening Cisco Network Devices
• Understanding of IPv4 and network design, including IP subnetting and protocols including BGP, OSPF and EIGRP
• Understanding of network device configuration and troubleshooting (ideally, Cisco IOS/IOS-XE)
• Understanding advanced features like DMVPN, GRE, IPSEC, IP quality-of-service, VLANs, and multicast.
• Familiar with network management protocols, like SNMP, SSH, syslog, RADIUS/TACACS and network simulation tools and load testing (e.g. CML, GNS3)
• Proficiency with MS Office tools, including PowerPoint and Visio

Preferred Qualifications:

• A professional certification specific to the networking industry like a CCNA/CCNP/CCIE or equivalent.
• Familiar with government grade encryption gear such as TACLANES or HAIPES
• Familiar with Windows, Linux, and VMWare configuration and troubleshooting.
• Experience with Atlassian tools (JIRA, Confluence, Bitbucket), Agile and/or Rapid prototyping software methodologies
• Strong understanding of networking strategies including software defined networking over wide area networks
• Familiar with current network products and technologies such as routers, firewalls, and switches, CML a plus
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management

Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00The 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.