Staff System Architect

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 169,000 - 253,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance coverage

Life and disability insurance

Paid time off (PTO)

Company-paid holidays

Job summary

0090 CORP-Corporate Office in Rolling Meadows, IL is looking for a Staff System Architect to lead the design and architecture for systems. This full-time position requires a U.S. Government Secret clearance and involves collaboration across various teams.

Ideal candidates should possess a relevant BS, MS, or PhD and significant experience in engineering. A competitive salary range of $169,000–$253,600 is offered along with comprehensive benefits including health insurance and paid time off.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of related experience or 10+ years with MS degree.
• 5+ years of experience at a defense contractor in EMD/LRIP phases.
• U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as authority for system architecture and design.
• Collaborate across hardware, software, and firmware teams.
• Deliver technical presentations to leadership.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving skills

Technical presentations

Collaboration on complex projects

Education

BS degree in Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or other STEM field

MS degree in a STEM field

PhD in a STEM field

Tools

IBM Rational DOORS

Enterprise Architect

Cameo

Job description

Staff System Architect – Rolling Meadows, IL

Relocation assistance may be available. The position is full‑time, on‑site at our Rolling Meadows, IL location and requires travel of up to 10% of the time. Clearance is required at the start of employment and will be Secret. A U.S. Government Secret or Top‑Secret clearance is required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the authority for system architecture and design, creating, evolving, and maintaining the architecture to meet operational needs.
• Balance cost, schedule, risk, and Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) while tailoring system requirement margins.
• Maintain alignment between the solution, internal roadmaps, product lines, and common components.
• Collaborate across hardware, software, and firmware teams on complex integrated projects.
• Deliver technical presentations to internal and external leadership.

Basic Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or other STEM field with 12+ years of related experience.
• MS degree in a STEM field with 10+ years of related experience.
• PhD in a STEM field with 8+ years of related experience.
• 5+ years of related engineering experience at a defense contractor during EMD and/or LRIP phases.
• Demonstrated analytical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Experience creating and delivering technical presentations to leadership.
• Experience collaborating on complex hardware, software, and firmware projects.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance (additional customer clearance required) prior to start.
• U.S. citizenship required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience across the entire engineering process from proposal and requirements analysis through verification, testing, and fielding of systems.
• Experience in systems engineering integration and test environments for EOIR systems, sensors, optics, antenna design, direction finding, geolocation, or threat analysis.
• Experience decomposing requirements for DoD‑based platforms or systems.
• Expertise in SysML modeling and MBSE tools such as IBM Rational DOORS, Enterprise Architect, or Cameo.
• Ability to develop and maintain system models, traceability matrices, and verification cross‑reference artifacts.
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) of cost accounts and schedules.
• Active U.S. Government Secret or Top‑Secret clearance.

Salary and Benefits

Primary Level Salary Range: $169,000.00 – $253,600.00. The salary is determined by scope, responsibilities, and candidate experience. Depending on the role, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Bonus programs are designed to reward individual contributions and share company results. Employees in VP or Director positions may also be eligible for long‑term incentives.

Benefits include health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a savings plan, company‑paid holidays, and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and personal business.

Application Information

The application period for this job is approximately 20 days from the posting date, but the timeline may be extended or shortened based on business needs and candidate availability.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.