Space Vehicle Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman • Gilbert, AZ

1d • $79,300 - $118,900 • Onsite

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.
Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is seeking a Space Vehicle Systems Engineer to join our team in Gilbert, Arizona.
Successful candidates for this position will play a key role as Space Vehicle Systems Engineers on a national security space program. This role blends classic systems engineering with on‑the‑floor support to integration, build, and test—putting you directly at the heart of assembling and bringing our spacecraft to life.
You will be part of a cross‑disciplinary team that takes space vehicles from early concept through launch and on‑orbit operations. You don’t just hand off a design—you help guide it from concept through countdown and into orbit, contributing to fully mission‑capable space vehicles for our customers.
This Systems Engineer role is an individual‑contributor position on a multi‑disciplinary team. You will work on design, development, integration, and testing of space payloads, spacecraft buses, and complete mission space vehicles. If you’re excited to see your work on the factory floor and ultimately on orbit, we invite you to join our team and help push the boundaries of what is possible.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 2+ years of engineering experience, or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline
• Demonstrated problem‑solving skills and an aptitude for understanding how systems and subsystems interact
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Prior engineering experience, preferably on space, aerospace, or related hardware/software programs
• Basic understanding of systems engineering concepts (requirements, interfaces, verification/validation)
• Ability and willingness to obtain a U.S. Government Top Secret clearance

Nice To Haves

• Experience in space systems, spacecraft design, or mission operations
• Exposure to requirements development and allocation, or system architecture/CONOPS work
• Familiarity with spacecraft or space system integration and test, launch, and/or mission operations
• Experience with one or more tools such as MATLAB, DOORS, or CAMEO
• Background in one or more areas such as orbital mechanics, spacecraft attitude control, power systems, avionics/digital electronics, risk analysis, optics, communications, thermal design, or spacecraft/payload integration and testing
• Active or current U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance

Responsibilities

• Provide on‑floor support to the integration, testing, and operational readiness of spacecraft and payloads
• Develop and manage system and subsystem requirements, allocations, and verification/validation plans
• Contribute to interface definition and write interface control documents, technical specifications and engineering reports
• Coordinate with program, functional, and subsystem leads to resolve technical issues
• Assist with trade studies, design and sensitivity analyses, system performance assessments, mission timelines, and CONOPS development
• Prepare review and briefing material for working groups, technical reviews, and program status meetings
• Support tasks such as electrical harness interface design, integration and test procedure development, mechanical systems support, command and telemetry database updates, and space vehicle configuration modeling
• Learn to synthesize key concepts from technical data (ground and space hardware) and communicate them clearly to peers and stakeholders

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• 401k
• Educational Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness Resources
• Employee Discounts
• Flexible Schedules: for example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level