Staff Systems Architect

Northrop Grumman; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 169,000 - 254,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman in Huntsville, AL, is seeking a qualified engineer with an Active Secret clearance to join a dynamic team supporting government customers. The role emphasizes system administration, security, and agile development in a fast-paced environment.

You will collaborate across disciplines, mentor junior engineers, and apply DevOps practices while contributing to secure, reliable systems. Eligible candidates possess a STEM degree and relevant certifications.

Qualifications

• Active Secret Security Clearance
• 12+ years with STEM bachelor; 16+ years without degree; 10+ years with Masters; 8+ years with PhD
• Experience in system administration: RHEL, Windows, Cisco, military encryptors, firewalls
• Experience managing source code using Git, GitHub, or GitLab
• Experience leading or mentoring junior engineers
• Experience interfacing with government customers
• Understanding of software development lifecycle and Agile/DevOps
• Security+ certification

Responsibilities

• Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Apply strong problem-solving in changing requirements
• Maintain technical credibility across multiple disciplines
• Work in a fast-paced environment with diverse assignments and collaboration across all levels

Skills

System administration

Mentor junior engineers

Government customer interface

Agile/DevOps

Security+ certification

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Git/GitHub/GitLab

Python

Jenkins

Docker

Kubernetes

Ansible

Jira and Confluence

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.

Responsibilities / Essential Functions

• Communicate effectively with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, clearly conveying technical issues, options, and impacts.
• Apply strong problem-solving skills in ambiguous situations where requirements, priorities, and external constraints may change rapidly.
• Maintain technical credibility across multiple disciplines to effectively communicate with engineers and understand the work and trade space being discussed.
• Work in a fast-paced environment with high expectations, diverse assignments, and collaborative team settings across all levels of the organization.

Basic Qualifications

• 12 Years with Bachelors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) or 16 years without a degree; 10 Years with Masters; 8 Years with PhD;
• Active Secret Security Clearance
• Experience in system administration of one or more of the following
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
  • Windows
  • Microsoft Server
  • Cisco switching and routing
  • Military encryptors
  • Firewalls
• Experience managing source code using Git, GitHub, or GitLab
• Experience leading or mentoring junior engineers
• Experience interfacing with government customers
• Understanding of all phases of software development, and practical experience in an Agile/Dev*Ops environment
• Security+ certification

Qualifications That Would Be Nice To Have

• Experience developing or performing scrum master duties within the IBCS Infrastructure Agile Release Train (ART)
• Experience with system administration of operating systems including Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Windows, and Microsoft Server
• Experience with system administration of Cisco switch and routers, timing units, Military encryptors
• Experience architecting operating system for closed tactical systems
• Experience architecting network systems for closed tactical systems
• Experience troubleshooting operating systems and network architecture
• Experience interfacing with customers
• Experience with Python
• Experience with Jenkins
• Experience with Dev*Ops
• Experience with Docker
• Experience with Kubernetes
• Experience with Ansible
• Experience with Jira and Confluence

Primary Level Salary Range: $169,000.00 - $253,600.00 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 http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.