Principal / Sr Engineer Systems Test

Responsibilities include working with STE Teammates, Test IPT Leadership, Lab Operations Leadership, and Test Planning & Execution (TP&E) teams to successfully plan, and execute dry run and formal test activities to evaluated, and certify hardware and software for ground and flight release. Must be able to utilize the experience and testing knowledge gained in a lab setting to support aircraft testing. Must be able to work within a ground and flight operations setting. Must have the ability to communicate up to leadership, and across to teammates and team members. Must be able to thrive in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative team settings across all levels. A successful track record of program performance, and test experience is required.
Northrop Grumman offers a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. Seeking a self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented individual to help Northrop Grumman grow services and become even better at what we do.

Key Responsibilities:

Drive process rigor, ensure compliance to meet company, program, and security requirements
Drive technical and process rigor for lab configuration
Continually seek to improve lab integration & test engineering rigor and efficiency
Develop and execute System Level 3 Test Procedures to verify system requirements, and validate the System Under Test (SUT)
Interface and present test integration and test execution results to program and test leadership at Pre and Post Test Reviews
Work independently on assigned tasks to meet deadlines on one or more test programs
• Flexibility to support weekends, multiple shifts, and off hours on site
This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on qualifications listed below.
Basic Qualification
This requisition may be filled at either a Principal or Sr Principal System Test Engineer level.
Basic Qualifications for T03 Principal System Test Engineer:

Must have a Bachelor's degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) discipline with 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master's degree in STEM with 3 years of related engineering experience
Must have an active Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Clearance, or higher, with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation
Ability to obtain and maintain a Special Program Access clearance.
Basic Qualifications for T04 Sr. Principal System Test Engineer:

Must have a Bachelor's degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) discipline with 9 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master's degree in STEM with 7 years of related engineering experience, OR a PhD in STEM with 4 years of related engineering experience
Must have an active Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Clearance, or higher, with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation
Ability to obtain and maintain a Special Program Access clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:

Extensive experience developing and executing System level test procedures
Understanding of Agile Test methodology
Previous experience with System Level Lab Test Execution, test planning and coordination of events
Previous experience with hot bench and overall lab operations support
Previous experience with ground and flight operations
Previous experience as a flight or ground test conductor
Willingness to travel up to 10% in support of ground and flight test events
Understanding of verification program and metrics maintenance
DoD Top Secret Clearance
* Proficiency in Control Account Management (CAM)
Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Client-provided location(s): San Diego, CA

Job ID: NorthropGrumman-R10218948

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-01-13T20:05:13