Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems sector has an opening for a Network Engineer or Principal Network Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals in our Avionics organization. This position is located in Melbourne, FL.
In this role, you will design, plan, and implement secure IP‑based network communications systems for mission‑critical aircraft, delivering detailed architecture schematics, hardware/software specifications, and capacity forecasts. The role demands solid expertise in IP subnetting, routing protocols such as BDP, OSPF, and EIGRP, hands‑on Cisco IOS‑XE configuration, and advanced technologies like GRE/IPSEC tunnels, VRF, and VRRP, together with thorough testing and validation of network designs. You will maintain technical proficiency across routers, multiplexers, firewalls, hubs, bridges, and gateways, evaluate emerging communications technologies to enhance performance and cost‑effectiveness, and produce comprehensive documentation for short‑ and long‑range network planning.
Responsibilities and Expectations:
Practical knowledge of functional and physical architecture definition, interface control, and creation of design drawings.
Hands-on involvement in test and verification processes, including creating verification matrices, overseeing hardware/software test, and managing test documentation.
Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and supplier interaction.
Solid Understanding of IP4 network design, including IP subnetting and routing protocols including BGP, OSPF and EIGRP.
Ability to configure and troubleshoot common network devices; Required: Cisco IOS-XE.
Solid Understanding of advanced network topics, such as GRE/IPSEC tunnels, VRF, VRRP.
Solid understanding with network management protocols, like SNMP, SSH, syslog, RADIUS/TACACS.
This position may be filled by either at the Network Engineer OR Principal Network Engineer level based on the qualifications below.
Basic Qualifications:
At a Network Engineer Level:
Must have a Bachelors degree in a STEM field and at least 2 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least some of relevant military / professional / academic experience
At a Principal Network Engineer Level:
Must have a Bachelors degree in a STEM field and at least 5 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least 3 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least 1 year of relevant military / professional / academic experience
And At Both Levels:
Must have an active US Government Secret or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
Must have experience performing requirements analysis and developing technical requirement documentation for hardware/software subsystems.
Must have experience supporting acquisition activities such as RFP development, supplier coordination, and reviewing supplier deliverables.
Must have experience with data acquisition from aerospace interfaces, specifically MIL-STD-1553 or equivalent bus protocols.
Preferred Qualifications:
DODD 8570 certifications, such as CompTIA Security+, CISSP, or similar network/security certifications.
Familiarity with AGILE processes and SCRUM tools (JIRA, Confluence).
Familiar with Windows and Linux configuration and troubleshooting.
A professional certification specific to the networking industry like a CCNA/CCNP/CCIE or equivalent.
Experience with authentication and data encryption methods, to include securing communications at either the datalink or network layer.
Experience with embedded systems, Unix and Linux operating systems, single board computers, servers and Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions.
Experience with non-Cisco networking environments such as Juniper or Palo Alto.
Experience with virtualization environments.
Working knowledge of cyber security and Risk Managed Framework (RMF), STIGs and associated elements.
Familiar with network management applications, like Splunk, Firepower Management Center (FMC), and/or Cisco ISE.
Experience with HAIPE/TACLANE and other military COMSEC/CRYPTO equipment and procedures.
Experience with tactical/military radio networks, like Common Data Link (CDL) and ANW2.
Experience performing troubleshooting with traffic capture tools, such as Wireshark and tcpdump, nmap and netcat.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field with at least 2 years relevant experience, or Master's/PhD with reduced experience as specified
- For Principal level: Bachelor's in STEM with at least 5 years relevant experience, or Master's +3 years, or PhD +1 year
- Active US Government Secret or higher clearance with background investigation within last 6 years or currently enrolled in Continuous Evaluation
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance
- Experience performing requirements analysis and developing technical requirement documentation for hardware/software subsystems
- Experience supporting acquisition activities (RFP development, supplier coordination, reviewing supplier deliverables)
- Experience with aerospace data acquisition interfaces, specifically MIL-STD-1553 or equivalent bus protocols
- Experience configuring and troubleshooting network devices; Required: Cisco IOS-XE
- Solid understanding of IPv4 network design, IP subnetting, and routing protocols including BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP
- Understanding of advanced network topics such as GRE/IPSEC tunnels, VRF, and VRRP
- Understanding of network management protocols such as SNMP, SSH, syslog, RADIUS/TACACS
- DODD 8570 certifications (CompTIA Security+, CISSP) or similar
- Familiarity with AGILE processes and SCRUM tools (JIRA, Confluence)
- Experience with Windows and Linux configuration and troubleshooting
- Networking certifications like CCNA/CCNP/CCIE or equivalent
- Experience with authentication and data encryption methods (datalink or network layer)
- Experience with embedded systems, Unix/Linux OS, single board computers, servers, NAS
- Experience with non-Cisco networking (Juniper, Palo Alto) and virtualization environments
- Working knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks (RMF), STIGs, and associated elements
- Familiarity with network management applications (Splunk, Firepower Management Center, Cisco ISE)
- Experience with HAIPE/TACLANE, military COMSEC/CRYPTO procedures, and tactical radio networks (CDL, ANW2)
- Experience using traffic capture and troubleshooting tools such as Wireshark, tcpdump, nmap, netcat
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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Retirement Support — 401(k) matching is considered strong, with additional defined-benefit coverage for certain cohorts and options like catch-up contributions. Retirement programs are repeatedly highlighted as a core strength of the total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO, company-paid holidays, and compressed work schedules (such as 9/80) provide meaningful time away and flexibility. These scheduling options are cited as a major quality-of-life benefit across many locations.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave alongside caregiver leave, adoption assistance, and back-up care supports a range of family needs. These programs have been expanded recently, signaling continued investment in family support.
Northrop Grumman Insights
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