Command and Control Enclave (C2E) Architect - Sr. Principal Engineer Systems Architect

Northrop Grumman•San Diego, CA

7d•$142,200 - $213,400•Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for Command and Control Enclave (C2E) Architect - Senior Principal Engineer Systems Architect to join the team of qualified individuals on our Research and Advanced Design organization. This role is located onsite in El Segundo, CA. This senior individual contributor will serve as a primary technical authority for C2E mission and command‑and‑control architectures, spanning mission software, hardware platforms, tactical networks, cybersecurity, and data processing. They must demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills with both customers and cross-functional teams. The selected candidate will lead architecture trade studies and integration strategies that align contract requirements, customer needs, and program technical objectives, while collaborating closely with systems, software, network, cyber, hardware, and integration & test teams.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 8 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 6 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience
Active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance (background investigation within the past 6 years, or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation). Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within a reasonable timeframe.
Experience in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) or other digital engineering programs for capturing architecture and system design (ex. Cameo, DOORS, Enterprise Architect).
Experience with technical trade studies that influenced architecture or design decisions (such as Alternatives analysis (AoA) or cost–benefit / performance–cost trades).
Experience with systems engineering practices (e.g., requirements allocation, system decomposition, interface definition, integration planning, Interface Control Documents (ICDs)).
Prior experience leading technical efforts as an individual contributor.
Experience working with cross‑functional teams and customers.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Command and Control (C2) systems, mission systems, battle management systems, ground control stations, tactical operations centers, ISR systems, or tactical networks.
Experience with system‑of‑systems architectures, secure enclaves, and/or multi‑domain operations (e.g., JADC2).
Familiarity with open architectures such as Open Mission Systems (OMS) and Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and relevant government reference architectures.
Experience with large, complex systems involving system development, integration, and test.
Demonstrated background in systems or mission architecture spanning software, hardware, networking, and/or cyber.
Knowledge of IP and tactical networking, secure communications, network segmentation, cross‑domain concepts, Zero Trust principles, and data transport in constrained/contested environments.
Experience with the DoD acquisition lifecycle, classified program execution, and support to technical proposals, SOWs, and BOEs.
Experience briefing architecture and trade‑study results to senior leadership and government customers.
Experience with modern software architectures (service‑oriented, containerized, API‑driven), DevSecOps practices, and/or software factory environments.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

Develop end‑to‑end system and mission architectures for C2 and mission systems within the C2E portfolio.
Translate CONOPS and operational needs into functional, logical, and physical architectures, including interfaces and data flows.
Lead architecture trade studies (compute, cloud vs. edge, tactical deployment, network, data transport, cyber approaches, payload/external integration) and document/defend recommendations.
Define integration and verification strategies across mission software, hardware platforms, secure networks, sensors/payloads, and test environments.
Support requirements development and allocation, system decomposition, interface definition, and system integration planning.
Contribute to Interface Control Document (ICDs), technical baselines, and major design reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, selloff).
Serve as a primary technical point of contact for C2E architecture, providing clear briefings and documentation to internal leadership and government customers.
Support technical proposals, SOWs, BOEs, and risk/opportunity discussions as needed.