Sr. Principal RF Microwave Design Engineer

NGSP engineers share a great sense of pride knowing their contributions have a direct effect on the safety and security of the country and its allies. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity, teamwork, and bringing your whole self to accomplish the mission while learning and having fun along the way.
EDA is seeking a principal or Senior Principal Electronics Engineer with experience and interest in leading the RF subsystem electronics test, integration and verification activities. Typical responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Developing, planning, executing, and overseeing the integration and test activities for payload RF electronics subsystems.

Troubleshooting RF subsystems and mixed-signal assemblies based on schematics and component design documents utilizing various test equipment

Ensuring the hardware meets performance, functional, interface and requirements before delivery to Payload level

Coordinating with Electronic Circuit Assembly (ECA) designers, systems engineers, and test equipment team to ensure readiness

Managing HW/SW/FW integration of at the sub-system level

Developing and executing detailed test procedures to verify functionality and interfaces.

Participating in design reviews, Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs) and formal verification activities.

Support payload level integration with higher level assemblies and tests.

Supporting Low-Rate Space Production

Supporting some systems level electrical test and performance analyses

Leading testing and reporting activities

Managing technician workload and priorities

Developing test plans and managing its execution

Maintaining and coordinating calibration of test equipment

Interfacing customers and providing support as needed

Hands on integration and test support

Collaborating with cross functional groups to achieve desired outcome (management, engineering, reliability, mission assurance and production personnel)

Open to occasional shift support during pre-environmental testing (PET) and Thermal vacuum testing (TVAC) for system testing.

This position is in Linthicum, MD with easy access to the major cities of Baltimore to the north and Washington DC to the south. This position will require the candidate to be 100% on site.
Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or comparable STEM degree minimum of 8 years of relevant engineering experience (6+ years with MS degree; or 3+ years with PhD)

Experience translating customer/system requirements into I&T plans, procedures, verification matrices and test scripts while addressing compliance at the product, component, and system levels.

Experience providing or presenting I&T tests, plans, activities or status at program reviews or technical meetings.

Ability to read and interpret schematics, assembly drawings, parts lists

Demonstrated ability to analyze and troubleshoot RF subsystems, complex mixed-signal ECAs and RF modules using schematics, component design documents, and basic lab test equipment.

Design, create, and modify Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) to support I&T activities.

Ability to provide solutions to a broad variety of RF/Microwave design and test related problems of complex difficulty.

Demonstrated Technical Team Leadership and ability to work on multi-disciplined engineering teams and communicate clearly within integrated product team (IPT) leads.

Basic understanding of the Design, Manufacturing, and Test process.

Exhibit intermediate to expert proficiency with industry standard RF/Microwave modeling, simulation and printed circuit board design tools (e.g. ANSYS HFSS/Maxwell, CST Microwave, Eagleware/Genesys, Keysight ADS, Xpedition, Altium, FEKO, TICRA)

Proficient in RF/Microwave and mixed signal circuit design, schematic capture, and PWB/board layout

Completed and/or led multiple board designs from schematic capture to board release

Easily adapt to design challenges to meet program goals and deadlines.

Effective verbal and written communication

US Citizenship is required

Must have a Secret clearance at time of application with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI

Preferred Qualifications:

Active TS/SCI security clearance

Ability to create Design & Test Requirement documents and Operational Test Specifications

Expert proficiency with industry standard RF/Microwave modeling, simulation and printed circuit board design tools (e.g. Keysight ADS, Xpedition, Altium)

Fluency with developing and executing technical development plans.

Experience Integrating a system containing digital hardware, software and firmware

Experience as technical lead or other similar leadership role with demonstrated team building, organizational, and interpersonal skills

Test Coordination

Experience with standard test equipment (STE) design or support

Experience with environmental stress screening (ESS) including TVAC

Ability to troubleshoot Test bench issues from H/W and S/W documentation

Ability to manage technician workload and priorities

Ability to assess and generate reports for electrical over stress analysis

Expertise in working with receiver/exciters, conducting RF performance analysis, and implementing digital beamforming

Design, develop, creation and modification of test scripts utilizing (FPGAs) Xilinx and Microchip FPGAs

Experience with scripting languages such as TCL, Python or Perl

Embedded networking or high-speed protocols experience (Ethernet, PCIe, Interlaken, Infiniband, etc.)

Experience in Worst Case Circuit Analysis (WCCA) including logic compatibility, component derating, timing analysis, signal and power integrity analyses

Signal integrity analysis (SERDES, Bit error rates, jitter components and contributors, board to board analysis)

Experience in integrating FPGA/Digital controls on the bench (no VHDL experience required)

Understanding of basic signal processing

* RF budgeting, frequency planning, RF chain analysis and modeling

Primary Level Salary Range: $131,300.00 - $196,700.00The 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): Linthicum Heights, MD

Job ID: NorthropGrumman-R10210004

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-10-04T20:10:27