System Engineer Level 3/4 - Mission Operations Engineer

Northrop Grumman • Redondo Beach, CA

7d • $114,000 - $213,400 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is seeking a System Engineer Level 3/4 - Mission Operations Engineer to join our team in Redondo Beach, CA. This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 5 years of related experience; OR a Master's degree in STEM with 3 years of related experience; OR, a PhD with 1 year of related experience (for Level 3)
• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 8 years of engineering experience; OR Master's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 6 years of engineering experience; OR PhD in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 4 years of engineering experience (for Level 4)
• Experience with space/ground system integration, test, or operations.
• Candidate must have an active SCI at time of application OR Candidate must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance (or equivalent) at time of application and prior to start date as well as the ability and willingness to obtain and maintain an active SCI prior to start date.
• Continued employment thereafter will be subject to the candidate’s maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with space vehicle operations or the development of operational concepts, procedures, and tools.
• Exposure to rapid‑development satellite programs.
• Ability to script operational products and automate routine tasks (e.g., using Python, shell scripting, or similar tools).
• Experience developing simple tools, dashboards, or utilities to support mission planning, execution, or data analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to clearly document procedures and system behaviors for use by operators and cross‑functional teams.
• Strong communication skills and comfort collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.
• Willingness to support on-console activation and associated shift work, including nights, weekends, or non-standard hours as mission needs dictate.

Responsibilities

• Help define and refine how a unique mission set is executed in partnership with the lead and broader team.
• Develop concepts of operations (CONOPS) and contribute to the refinement of complex mission employment approaches.
• Translate CONOPS into detailed procedures, checklists, and playbooks for day‑to‑day operations.
• Contribute to the design, testing, and improvement of tools, products, and processes that enable successful mission operations.
• Participate in planning and execution of operational rehearsals, simulations, and mission demonstrations.
• Support a culture of knowledge sharing by creating and maintaining documentation of system operations, hardware configurations, and software behaviors.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to ethics and integrity while proposing innovative ideas and improvements to existing practices.
• Work as an effective member of a high‑performing team, being self‑motivated and able to execute under general direction while independently developing approaches to assigned tasks.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance may be available
• 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.
• Overtime
• Shift differential
• Discretionary bonus
• Annual bonuses
• Long Term Incentives (for VP or Director positions)
• Company paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

What This Job Offers

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