Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking an Electrical Engineer to join a collaborative, multidisciplinary team in Plymouth, Minnesota, supporting critical programs for our defense customers.
This requisition may be filled at either the Electrical Engineer (Level 2) or Principal Electrical Engineer (Level 3) based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.
Role Summary
The Electrical Engineer will apply a broad electrical engineering skillset to the design and development of cutting‑edge military systems. This role spans concept development, detailed design, analysis, and verification of electronics used in demanding defense environments.
Responsibilities
- Lead and/or contribute to electrical design efforts for projects of significant complexity.
- Perform research, design, and development in areas such as:
- Power conditioning electronics
- Analog and digital circuit design
- FPGA/ASIC design and verification
- Other general electrical engineering design tasks
- Apply research results to the planning, design, development, simulation, and test of electrical circuits for military applications.
- Generate design schematics, preferably using CAD tools such as Mentor Graphics.
- Develop specifications and select components for electrical circuits in military systems.
- Use electrical CAD and simulation tools (e.g., Siemens EDA, Ansys, Vivado/Radiant/Quartus, VHDL-AMS, SPICE, Matlab) for circuit performance prediction and design optimization.
- Oversee board layout to create printed wiring board (PWB) designs and provide key inputs to enable first‑pass success.
- Apply strong analytical skills to organize, prioritize, and execute assignments.
- Collaborate effectively within a product development team to understand system‑level interdependencies that impact circuit requirements and constraints.
- Proactively learn and adopt new design techniques, tools, and technologies.
- Apply Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) disciplines, including design for assembly and design for manufacturing (DFA/DFM), where applicable.
Basic Qualifications – Electrical Engineer (Level 2)
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or another STEM discipline.
- 2+ years of experience in the design, build, and validation of electrical circuits; or a Master’s degree in lieu of the 2 years of experience.
- Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Ability to obtain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance after hire.
- Solid understanding of electronic product development processes.
- Experience creating and modeling electrical schematics and evaluating design robustness through simulation and lab testing, using electronic design schematic capture and simulation tools.
- Ability to evaluate and select components that meet applicable requirements.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work effectively on cross‑functional teams.
- Ability to work both independently and in a team environment.
- Ability to perform effectively in a fast‑paced, rapidly changing environment with short turnaround times.
- Ability to travel occasionally to meet with government and industry customers and to interface with suppliers.
Basic Qualifications – Principal Electrical Engineer (Level 3)
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or another STEM discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in the design, build, and validation of electrical circuits; or Master’s degree with 3+ years of experience; or PhD with 1+ year of experience.
- Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Ability to obtain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance after hire.
- Solid understanding of electronic product development processes.
- Experience creating and modeling electrical schematics and evaluating design robustness through simulation and lab testing, using electronic design schematic capture and simulation tools.
- Ability to evaluate and select components that meet applicable requirements.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work effectively on cross‑functional teams.
- Demonstrated ability to work both independently and in a team environment.
- Proven ability to perform effectively in a fast‑paced, rapidly changing environment with short turnaround times.
- Ability to travel occasionally to meet with government and industry customers and to interface with suppliers.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Mentor Graphics/Siemens EDA design and simulation tools.
- Experience in developing embedded systems that utilize high-performance FPGAs.
- Printed wiring board (PWB) layout and design experience; knowledge of PWB manufacturing processes in accordance with IPC Class III requirements.
- Experience working with PWB and circuit card assembly (CCA) suppliers.
- Experience with design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA).
- Experience developing high‑reliability electronics for military environments, including:
- Extreme temperature conditions
- High‑G shock loads
- Vibration
- Extended storage durations
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or another STEM discipline
- 2+ years of experience designing, building, and validating electrical circuits for Electrical Engineer Level 2, or a Master's degree in lieu of experience
- 5+ years of experience designing, building, and validating electrical circuits for Principal Electrical Engineer Level 3; alternatively, a Master's degree with 3+ years or PhD with 1+ year
- U.S. citizenship
- Ability to obtain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance after hire
- Understanding of electronic product development processes
- Experience creating and modeling electrical schematics and evaluating design robustness through simulation and laboratory testing
- Experience using electronic design schematic capture and simulation tools
- Ability to evaluate and select components that meet applicable requirements
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work independently and on cross-functional teams
- Ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment
- Ability to travel occasionally to meet government and industry customers and interface with suppliers
- Experience with Mentor Graphics or Siemens EDA design and simulation tools
- Experience developing embedded systems using high-performance FPGAs
- Printed wiring board layout and design experience
- Knowledge of PWB manufacturing processes in accordance with IPC Class III requirements
- Experience working with PWB and circuit card assembly suppliers
- Experience with design for manufacturability and design for assembly
- Experience developing high-reliability electronics for military environments
Northrop Grumman Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northrop Grumman and has not been reviewed or approved by Northrop Grumman.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple medical plan options by region alongside dental, vision, mental‑health resources, and wellness programs. Recent materials also highlight added family‑building support, including a dedicated fertility benefit.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) savings plan is positioned as competitive with a company match, auto‑escalation features, and access to an employee stock fund/ESPP. Official filings and benefits guides emphasize retirement as a core element of the Total Rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Many sites offer a 9/80 schedule, generous PTO, paid holidays, and flexible/telework options where program needs allow. Paid parental and caregiver leave are prominently featured, with recent enhancements for the delivering parent.
Northrop Grumman Insights
What We Do
We are a close-knit community of big thinkers collaborating to keep the world safe. Our passion, creativity and expertise bring next-level technology solutions to life in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, space, and logistics and modernization for our customers around the globe. On the Northrop Grumman team, you’ll join our pursuit of excellence immersed in a dynamic culture of innovation and respect. Your unique perspective will help achieve our shared vision for the future of global security. Every step of the way, you'll be supported by world-class training, employee resource groups and a comprehensive benefits package that enables greater health and happiness for you and your family. Worldwide and across disciplines, we’re challenging what’s possible for technology to protect people and places from undersea to outer space and into cyberspace. And we see the impact of our performance every day. We are Northrop Grumman, and we work on what matters—now, you too can make a difference. Explore opportunities in engineering, IT, manufacturing, business management, cybersecurity and more with us. Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.









