Lead UX Engineer - Researcher/Designer (T04)

Northrop Grumman • Redondo Beach, CA

130d • $124,900 - $206,000

About The Position

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. The Payload and Ground Systems organization within the Northrop Grumman Space Systems pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered by providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission! We are seeking a Lead UX Engineer - Researcher/Designer (T04) to join our team. In this role, you will lead the strategy, design and research efforts that shape human-centered experiences for mission-critical space systems. You will own the end-to-end UX process for complex programs, from framing user problems to delivering validated design solutions that drive customers and program success. You will set and govern UX standards, mentor junior team members, and influence cross-functional stakeholders including SEIT, software engineering, operations and program leadership. The ideal candidate is a seasoned UX professional who can operate with high autonomy, communicate, and deliver measurable impact for the program. You will apply human performance principles, methodologies, and technologies to the design of human-machine systems and products and lead efforts in research and design with your team.

Requirements

• 8 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree in STEM; 6 years with a Master's degree; 4 years with a PhD in STEM.
• Active Secret clearance required at the time of application.
• Experience leading diverse internal and external partners across multiple geographic regions.
• Experience establishing user-centered design (UCD) principles and standardized products.
• Strong portfolio showcasing user-centered design solutions for web applications.
• Experience in effectively communicating UX findings and design rationale to senior leadership.
• Expertise in translating complex requirements and user needs into intuitive design solutions.
• Proven ability to adapt and integrate UX principles into an Agile program management methodology.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with MIL-STD-1472 (Department of Defense Design Criteria Standard for Human Engineering).
• Experience designing applications for military users.
• Mastery of design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Lucid).
• Familiarity with Systems Engineering.
• Direct experience using the DOORS Requirements Management Database.
• Expertise with contributions to Human Factors Analyses.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, design and research efforts for human-centered experiences.
• Own the end-to-end UX process for complex programs.
• Set and govern UX standards and mentor junior team members.
• Influence cross-functional stakeholders including SEIT, software engineering, operations and program leadership.
• Apply human performance principles and methodologies to design human-machine systems.
• Manage UX tasking and schedules, including tracking and reporting progress.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Savings plan.
• Company paid holidays.
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

What This Job Offers

• Industry: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree