Mission Systems Engineer (Principal/Sr Principal) - Signatures Limitations and Constraints Management Lead (AHT)
Northrop Grumman Space Systems is a strategic partner specializing in delivering intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions for classified and unclassified missions in space. As part of Eastern Region Systems Engineering, Integration and Test (ER-SEIT), you will have the opportunity to experience the entire space design lifecycle. We do it all here, on-site, from sensors to payloads to full up spacecraft, supporting Class A to Class D missions. All the way from early mission and concept design to on-orbit operational support.
Northrop Grumman Space Systems in Linthicum, MD is seeking a Mission Systems Engineer to lead Signatures, Limitations, and Constraints (SLC) Management across our Space RADAR programs.
Responsibilities include:
- Coordinate with Payload Assembly Integration and Test (PL AI&T), Space Vehicle (SV) AI&T, and Ops teams for development and maintenance SLCs throughout program life cycles from initial design through on-orbit ops
- Support MSEIT System I&T team in the planning and execution of space-to-ground testing activities
- Ground Test Cases + Ground (dev. env.) - Vehicle Sim
- On-Orbit Check-Out Test Cases + Ground (test env.) + Vehicle Sim
- End-to-End Testing (Select On-Orbit Test Cases + Ground (production env.) + Vehicle (launch site)
- Support planning and track all validation testing activities from ground/payload sell-off through launch
- Coordinate Test Case development and execution with MSEIT MGS Team and Speargun O&M team
- Coordinate with PL and SV AI&T teams for production, set-up, and coordination of vehicle sim asset
- Vehicle sim planning, set-up, and execution for Speargun Protoflight
- Coordination with Mission Partners (bus and launch provider) to execute testing and maintain vehicle sim
- Coordinate with other elements/segments (e.g. Ground, Payload) for baseline availability (e.g. ground SW, PL FSW), root cause determination, and discrepancy report (DR) resolution
This position can be staffed at a Principal or Sr. Principal level based on the Basic Qualifications below.
Basic Qualifications:
- Principal Engineer: BS in STEM with 5 years relevant experience or 3 years with MS
- Sr Principal Engineer: BS in STEM with 8 years relevant experience or 6 years with MS
- Active TS clearance and SCI eligibility required at time of application
- Hardware/Software I&T Experience
- Experience in implementing and maintaining processes
Preferred Qualifications:
- On-Orbit Ops experience
- Experience coordinating between program elements
- Experience identifying, documenting, and using SLCs
- Experience with the Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
- Experience with Space Vehicle tasking and I&T
- Experience with Radar tasking and I&T
- BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering
- Active SCI clearance
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Primary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $163,200.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $135,800.00 - $203,600.00The 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.Skills Required
- BS in STEM with 5 years relevant experience or 3 years with MS (Principal) / BS in STEM with 8 years relevant experience or 6 years with MS (Sr Principal)
- Active Top Secret clearance required
- SCI eligibility required at time of application
- Hardware/Software Integration & Test (I&T) experience
- Experience implementing and maintaining processes
- U.S. Citizenship
- On-Orbit Operations experience
- Experience coordinating between program elements
- Experience identifying, documenting, and using Signatures, Limitations, and Constraints (SLCs)
- Experience with Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
- Experience with Space Vehicle and Radar tasking and I&T
- BS in Electrical, Computer, or Aerospace Engineering
- Active SCI clearance
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.
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