Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman•Los Angeles, CA

4d•$114,000 - $213,400•Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is seeking a Principal or Senior Principal Systems Engineer for its Engineering & Sciences organization in Woodland Hills, California. The role focuses on post-CDR program phases, including integration and test, verification sell-off, and transition of complex hardware and software systems into production. The engineer will lead cross-functional work, manage configuration baselines, and help ensure successful qualification, customer acceptance, and production readiness. The position requires full-time onsite work and U.S. citizenship; the employee must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance. Travel is 10% of the time, and relocation assistance may be available. The successful candidate will own and control the post-CDR technical baseline; maintain requirement traceability and verification planning; lead integration, testing, and formal verification; support validation and operational suitability activities; and partner with Operations and Manufacturing on production transition. The engineer will also manage technical changes, track risks and issues, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to continuous improvement. The position may be filled at either the Principal or Senior Principal level. The listed salary ranges are $114,000–$171,000 for the primary level and $142,200–$213,400 for the secondary level. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus. Benefits include health insurance, life and disability insurance, a savings plan, company-paid holidays, and paid time off.

Requirements

For Principal level: Bachelor of Science in a STEM discipline and 5 years of related systems engineering experience; or Master of Science in a STEM discipline and 3 years; or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 1 year.
For Senior Principal level: Bachelor of Science in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related systems engineering experience; or Master of Science in a STEM discipline and 6 years; or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 4 years.
Demonstrated systems engineering experience, preferably in aerospace or defense.
Proficiency with systems engineering tools such as DOORS, CAMEO, MATLAB, or comparable software.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret complex data and generate actionable insights.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
Ability to contribute collaboratively to cross-functional projects.
Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to high-quality, reliable work.
Adaptability and ability to thrive in fast-changing, fast-paced environments.
U.S. citizenship.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance.
Availability to work full-time onsite in Woodland Hills, California.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or Ph.D. in a STEM field or technical management.
Solid understanding of inertial navigation and related products.
Experience leading post-CDR phases and reviews such as Test Readiness Review (TRR), System Verification Review (SVR), Functional Configuration Audit (FCA), Physical Configuration Audit (PCA), and Production Readiness Review (PRR).
Active DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

Own the post-CDR technical baseline and keep requirements, architectures, and interface control documents consistent, traceable, and controlled through qualification and production transition.
Refine and maintain the verification cross-reference matrix, mapping requirements to test, analysis, inspection, or demonstration, including hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop coverage.
Lead integration and test planning and execution, including preparing test procedures, coordinating laboratory resources, and driving incremental hardware and software integration from components through system-level builds.
Execute formal verification campaigns, analyze test results, resolve discrepancies, and report verification status to support requirement sell-off and customer acceptance.
Support system validation and operational suitability, including mission-scenario testing, host-platform integration, and evaluation in representative environments.
Partner with Operations and Manufacturing on production transition, including design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly reviews, production test strategies, and as-built configuration tracking.
Drive configuration and change management, including leading or participating in configuration control boards, assessing technical impacts of changes, and maintaining DOORS traceability.
Maintain and report the post-CDR risk and issues register, propose mitigations, and communicate status to program leadership and customers.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and participate in cross-functional teams spanning mechanical, electrical, and software disciplines.
Identify process inefficiencies, propose improvements to configuration-management practices, and contribute to lessons-learned documentation.