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Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer (Launch Focus Engineer)

7 days ago McLean, VA

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: NoCLEARANCE TYPE: NoneTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time Description 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.This Systems Engineering position is an engineering support role on the Co-Manifest Vehicle (CMV) team in the Launch and Exploration Division (LED) at Northrop Grumman Space Systems located in McLean, VA. The job responsibilities will be as an individual-contributor and deliverable/product lead within a multi-disciplinary engineering team. Successful candidate will perform traditional Systems Engineering functions, including verification/validation planning, systems analysis, and coordination of test efforts. The application of these systems engineering responsibilities will be in the context of leading Launch site data topics and developing test sheets. Responsibilities will also include interaction with program, functional and customer leadership.
The candidate must be knowledgeable in aerospace systems, spacecraft subsystems design, or mission operations. They must have excellent verbal and written communication, be able to explain complex concepts in an easily digestible manner, lead a working group and keep the team focused, create internal information, negotiate with externals, and status customer. The candidate must work in a dynamic environment where priorities can shift and part of the job is to turn the unknown into facts and knowledge. Collaboration and communication is essential, as is adherence to best practices and the ability to understand information at a network, software, and data level. Tasks are not always well defined and can redirect as needed. The candidate will develop and coordinate the conduct of test programs required to evaluate design work.

Responsibilities/Duties:

Evaluate design documentation and verification for compliance with customer and internally derived requirements

Evaluate design documentation to provide evidence for requirement verification and hazard control verification closure

Evaluate System Level test results and generation reports & review packages

Provide support to selected elements of the program Systems Engineering Team

Support and deliver SE Products and other deliverables, with a focus on mission success

Develop/implement and communicate solutions to routine Engineering problems

Contribute to the technical tasks supporting the program

Provide systems engineering support for technical reviews

Write status and technical performance reviews, analyses and reports


Basic Qualifications:

Principal Systems Engineer - Bachelors of Science degree in technical field and 5+ years of experience, or Masters of Science degree in technical field with 3+ years of experience; or a PhD

Sr Principal Systems Engineer - Bachelors of Science degree in technical field and 8+ years of experience, or Masters of Science degree in technical field with 6+ years of experience; or a PhD with 4+ years of experience

Experience in Systems Engineering for mission critical applications

Mission and/or vehicle systems engineering experience

Software coding or scripting experience

Ability to obtain a security clearance (U.S. Citizenship Required)


Preferred Qualifications:

Understanding of spacecraft integration & test, launch, and mission operations

Experience with AI&T for human-rated programs

Experience conducting data analyses

Experience with embedded networks

Understanding of software packets and data flow

Experience with detailed test design

Experience with Systems Engineering process

Experience with human spaceflight vehicle development including integration & test

Experience developing verification documentation

Familiarity with electrical & computer systems

Familiarity with command and telemetry database

* Strong Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) & Matlab scripting skills

Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00The 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.

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Client-provided location(s): McLean, VA
Job ID: NorthropGrumman-R10223852
Employment Type: OTHER
Posted: 2026-02-26T19:38:05

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • HSA
    • HSA With Employer Contribution
    • On-Site Gym
    • Pet Insurance
    • Mental Health Benefits
    • Virtual Fitness Classes
  • Parental Benefits

    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
    • Fertility Benefits
    • Adoption Assistance Program
    • Family Support Resources
    • Adoption Leave
  • Work Flexibility

    • Flexible Work Hours
    • Remote Work Opportunities
    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
    • Four-Day Work Week
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Commuter Benefits Program
    • Company Outings
    • On-Site Cafeteria
    • Holiday Events
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Paid Holidays
    • Sabbatical
    • Leave of Absence
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K)
    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Performance Bonus
    • Relocation Assistance
    • Financial Counseling
    • Profit Sharing
  • Professional Development

    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Promote From Within
    • Mentor Program
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Access to Online Courses
    • Lunch and Learns
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership Training Program
    • Associate or Rotational Training Program
  • Diversity and Inclusion

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