Cyber Systems Engineer - Level 4

Northrop Grumman•Chandler, AZ

1d•$135,000 - $202,600•Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems sector is seeking a Cyber Systems Engineer – Level 4 to join its team in Chandler, Arizona. The selected candidate will serve as a senior technical leader responsible for defining, integrating, and validating the security posture of a complex missile or weapon system throughout its lifecycle. The role combines systems engineering with Systems Security Engineering (SSE), cybersecurity, Anti-Tamper (AT), exportability, Program Protection, and supply-chain risk management. The engineer will translate customer and product requirements into secure, integrated system solutions that account for technical performance, cost, schedule, risk, supportability, and lifecycle constraints. The role establishes technical direction, leads security engineering activities and design reviews, mentors engineering staff, and communicates with program leadership, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams. Work spans the system lifecycle, from concept development and design through integration, test, operation, sustainment, and disposal.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and 8 years of professional experience, or a master’s degree and 6 years, or a PhD and 4 years.
Experience applying systems engineering processes to complex systems across multiple lifecycle stages.
Experience with system security architecture, security requirements development and allocation, risk assessment, countermeasure definition, and verification planning.
Demonstrated experience with Anti-Tamper design or implementation for protecting Critical Program Information on classified US Government programs.
Working knowledge of applicable US Government and NIST security engineering processes and frameworks, such as US Government Anti-Tamper guidance, NIST SP 800-160, and the Risk Management Framework.
Experience evaluating embedded hardware, firmware, software, interfaces, or system components for compliance and secure operation.
Ability to lead technical activities, communicate complex security matters, and collaborate with program leadership, customers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Strong written and verbal communication, technical leadership, and mentoring skills.
U.S. citizenship.
Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting complex embedded missile, weapon, or High Assurance Device development programs.
Experience developing or leading system security architecture across the full system lifecycle.
Experience authoring or leading Program Protection Plans, Security Classification Guides, Anti-Tamper Plans, exportability assessments, supply-chain risk assessments, System Security Plans, or similar program security artifacts.
Experience with requirements management, bidirectional traceability, interface definition, security compliance matrices, and model-based systems engineering.
Knowledge of threat-modeling methods, advanced adversary capabilities, reverse-engineering threats and countermeasures, hardware assurance, firmware security, tamper resistance, and security verification and validation.
Experience supporting security certification, authorization, compliance assessments, technical evaluations, or government security reviews.
Experience leading cross-functional trade studies, risk assessments, and cost, schedule, performance, and security decisions.
Experience directing or mentoring SSE, AT, cybersecurity, hardware, firmware, or software engineering personnel.
Ability to communicate system security posture, technical risk, and mitigation recommendations to senior leaders and government customers.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior technical authority for SSE, cybersecurity, AT, exportability, supply-chain risk management, and Program Protection across a major missile or weapon system program.
Develop and maintain the system security architecture, technical strategy, implementation roadmap, and security engineering approach across the system lifecycle.
Perform technical planning, system integration, requirements analysis and allocation, interface definition, trade studies, risk analysis, and verification and validation for total system solutions.
Support engineering activities across concept development, design, fabrication, integration, test, installation, operation, sustainment, and disposal.
Convert customer, mission, and product requirements into system solutions that account for technical, schedule, cost, supportability, and security constraints.
Perform functional and timeline analysis, detailed trade studies, requirements allocation, and interface studies to translate customer requirements into hardware, firmware, and software specifications.
Lead identification, assessment, and classification of Critical Program Information and critical components.
Conduct advanced threat, vulnerability, and security risk assessments and recommend risk-response strategies.
Lead security trade studies balancing protection effectiveness, mission performance, cost, schedule, technical maturity, exportability, and residual risk.
Develop, review, and coordinate program security artifacts, including Program Protection Plans, System Security Plans, Security Classification Guides, Anti-Tamper Plans, exportability assessments, supply-chain risk assessments, requirements compliance matrices, and related documentation.
Define, allocate, and maintain traceability of security requirements across system, subsystem, hardware, firmware, software, and supplier elements.
Oversee implementation of technical and nontechnical security controls across design, integration, production, operation, sustainment, and disposal.
Evaluate hardware, firmware, software, interfaces, and supply-chain elements for secure operation, compliance, and exposure to capable adversaries.
Ensure security engineering activities align with contractual requirements, government direction, and US Government and NIST guidance, including NIST SP 800-160 and the Risk Management Framework.
Lead or support security verification and validation, technical reviews, security testing, certification and authorization activities, risk acceptance documentation, and closure of technical findings.
Assess security requirements and countermeasures using objective evidence, analysis, inspection, demonstration, and test.
Lead security content for major program and design reviews and communicate security posture, residual risk, technical issues, and mitigation strategies to program leadership and customer stakeholders.
Collaborate with systems engineering, software, hardware, test, safety, specialty engineering, supply chain, program management, and security organizations.
Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and provide technical direction, training, work-product reviews, and professional development support.

Benefits

Comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package.
Health insurance coverage.
Life insurance.
Disability insurance.
Savings plan.
Company-paid holidays.
Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus depending on the position.
Annual bonuses designed to reward individual contributions and allow employees to share in company results.
Vice President or Director employees may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.
Relocation assistance may be available.