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 delivering technology programs through rigorous design reviews and verification sell-off campaigns, leading cross-functional teams, managing configuration baselines, and transitioning hardware-software systems to production. The position is onsite full-time and requires an active U.S. Government Secret clearance and U.S. citizenship.

The engineer will develop and maintain the technical requirements baseline, system architectures, verification plans, and key design-review artifacts. They will lead design reviews and verification activities, coordinate with customers, suppliers, certification bodies, integration and test teams, and ensure configuration control and resolution of discrepancies. The position also includes technical mentorship, executive reporting, and continuous improvement of engineering and configuration-management practices.

The role may be filled at either the Principal or Senior Principal level. Principal qualifications require a bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline and five years of related Systems Engineering experience, a master's degree and three years, or a Ph.D. and one year. Senior Principal qualifications require a bachelor's degree and eight years, a master's degree and six years, or a Ph.D. and four years. Salary ranges are $114,000–$171,000 for the primary level and $142,200–$213,400 for the secondary level. Relocation assistance may be available, and travel is approximately 10% of the time.

Requirements

• For Principal level: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline and 5 years of related Systems Engineering experience, master's degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years, or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 1 year.
• For Senior Principal level: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related Systems Engineering experience, master's degree 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 translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• Ability to collaborate and contribute actively to cross-functional projects.
• Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to high-quality, reliable work.
• Agility and adaptability in fast-changing, fast-paced environments.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Current and active U.S. Government Secret clearance.
• Availability to work onsite full-time 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.
• Proven track record executing program milestones, including Systems Requirements Review (SRR), System Functional Review (SFR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR).

Responsibilities

• Capture, analyze, and finalize functional and performance requirements; maintain full traceability in DOORS and confirm verifiability ahead of the Critical Design Review (CDR).
• Develop functional and physical system architectures, conduct trade-off studies, and select solutions that advance system maturity toward production readiness.
• Organize and lead internal design-review meetings and facilitate external CDR sessions with customers, suppliers, certification bodies, and other partners; document feedback and decisions and drive corrective actions to closure.
• Collaborate with integration and test teams on schedules, maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and create verification matrices covering hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop scenarios.
• Lead verification execution, analyze test and analysis results, resolve discrepancies, and close verification loops to meet CDR baseline requirements and subsequent system qualification.
• Manage baseline configuration items, enforce version control, and conduct change-impact analyses throughout system verification and validation.
• Author and maintain CDR artifacts, including the System Requirements Document, ICD, Design Description, Test Plans, and Risk Register.
• Produce status reports and executive-level presentations on CDR and verification readiness, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and participate in cross-functional teams to align engineering disciplines with program objectives.
• Identify process inefficiencies, propose configuration-management practice updates, and contribute lessons learned for future programs.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company-paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• Potential eligibility for overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus, depending on the position
• Relocation assistance may be available

What This Job Offers

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