Systems Engineer/Principal Systems Engineer - External Interface (AHT)

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 92,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Company paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking Systems Engineer – Level 2/3 in Redondo Beach, CA to define, integrate and verify external interfaces across space architectures.

You will own the technical baseline for payloads, spacecraft buses, and ground segments, coordinating with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure interoperability and compliance with program requirements. A strong emphasis on documentation and change control is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM with 2+ years of engineering experience or Master's with 3+ years
• Active SCI clearance at time of application required
• Experience developing and managing external interfaces and interface documentation (ICDs, IRDs, specs)

Responsibilities

• Own the technical definition and control of external interfaces for assigned subsystems and segments
• Develop, maintain, and baseline Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and Interface Requirement Specifications
• Decompose system-level requirements into interface requirements and allocate them to subsystems and components
• Lead and participate in interface working groups, design reviews, and technical interchange meetings
• Coordinate interface definition across mechanical, electrical, data, RF, and software interfaces
• Perform interface compatibility assessments, margin analyses, and trades
• Support integration and test planning for interface verification
• Investigate and resolve interface-related issues during integration and test
• Ensure interface design remains aligned with evolving requirements and constraints
• Provide clear technical communication to leadership, customers, and teams

Skills

External interfaces

Interface documentation

System interfaces

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM

Tools

DOORS

SysML/UML

Job description

Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI

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’s Space Systems Sector is seeking Systems Engineer – Level 2 and Systems Engineer – Level 3 to join our team in Redondo Beach, CA.

In this role, the Systems Interface Engineer will lead the definition, integration, and verification of system-to-system interfaces across complex space architectures. In this role, you will own the technical baseline for external interfaces between payloads, spacecraft buses, ground segments, and external mission partners, ensuring end-to-end interoperability, performance, and compliance with program requirements. You will work closely with systems engineering, hardware, software, and customer teams to decompose requirements, develop interface control documentation, and resolve integration issues throughout the program lifecycle.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Own the technical definition and control of external interfaces for assigned subsystems and segments (space, ground, and cross-segment) and collaborating with diverse engineering design teams to assist in managing technical baseline.
• Develop, maintain, and baseline Interface Control Documents (ICDs), Interface Requirement Specifications, and related configuration-managed artifacts.
• Decompose system-level requirements into interface requirements and allocate them to subsystems and components.
• Lead and participate in interface working groups, design reviews, and technical interchange meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintenance of Interfaces in DOORS Database, driving documentation into Digital Transformation Supporting multiple engineering insertions simultaneously while ensuring the various maturations are synchronized Coordinate interface definition across mechanical, electrical, data, RF, and software interfaces, ensuring consistency and traceability.
• Perform interface compatibility assessments, margin analyses, and trades to support architecture and design decisions.
• Support integration and test planning for interface verification, including development of test configurations, procedures, and success criteria.
• Investigate and resolve interface-related issues during integration and test, including anomaly triage and corrective action recommendations.
• Ensure interface design and documentation remain aligned with evolving requirements, configuration changes, and customer constraints.
• Contribute to risk identification and mitigation planning related to external interfaces.
• Provide clear technical communication to program leadership, customers, and cross-functional teams.
• Review RFCs for potential impacts and communicating internally to generate program responses

Basic Qualifications for Systems Engineer – Level 2:

• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 2+ years of engineering experience OR, Master's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline Candidate must have an active SCI at time of application. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to maintenance at the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future. Experience developing and managing external interfaces and interface documentation (ICDs, IRDs, specs) and maintaining configuration control. Familiarity with requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, etc.) and model-based or structured systems engineering practices. 2+ years of experience performing in a Systems Engineering or related technical discipline Understanding of systems engineering principles and processes Demonstrated written and oral communications skills through written requirements, test, and evaluation criteria

Basic Qualifications for Systems Engineer – Level 3:

• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 5+ years of engineering experience OR, Master's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 3 years of experience OR, PhD degree in a STEM discipline with 1 year of experience Candidate must have an active SCI at time of application and prior to start date. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to maintenance at the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future. Experience developing and managing external interfaces and interface documentation (ICDs, IRDs, specs) and maintaining configuration control. Familiarity with requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, etc.) and model-based or structured systems engineering practices. 5+ years of experience performing in a Systems Engineering or related technical discipline Understanding of systems engineering principles and processes Demonstrated written and oral communications skills through written requirements, test, and evaluation criteria

Preferred Qualifications for Systems Engineer – Level 2/3:

• Experience on space systems programs (spacecraft, payloads, ground segment, or mission operations). Familiarity with interface standards and industry best practices for space and ground systems. Experience working with customer and partner organizations on joint interface definition and control. Experience in test procedure development, test planning, and/or integration and test Familiarity with Model- Driven Systems Engineering languages (SysML /UML) and concepts and CORE knowledge a plus Excellent technical writing skills, and team building skills Experience in troubleshooting of complex systems Experience of working as part of a diverse team in a fast-paced environment

Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector?

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life.

For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site: Northrop Grumman Total Rewards

Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00

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.

• health insurance coverage
• life and disability insurance
• savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• 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.

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We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space – our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.