Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is seeking a Payload Mission Operations Systems Engineer - Level 3 / 4 to join our team in Redondo Beach, CA.
*This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.
This role can be filled at either Level 3 or Level 4.
The Protected Tactical SATCOM Prototype (PTS-P) program is seeking an experienced mission ops engineer to join the Mission Ops (MOPS) team to complete (or create as needed) the necessary ops products, participate in rehearsals and participate in SV activation, antenna calibration and on orbit demo and test (OODT) execution during and post the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) of the PTS-P mission. As a small class C program there will be opportunities and an expectation to help in areas outside of typical mission ops environment or scope.
Responsibilities include:
- Participate in operator training, rehearsals and on orbit ops
- Primarily will serve as a payload mission ops lead during rehearsals and on orbit ops
- Serve as a backup BCOS/PCOS mission operator on console if needed.
- Serve as a backup SCN planner if needed
- Modify or create python scripts.
- Use, modify or create tools used during I&T, rehearsals and mission ops
- Work in a dynamic environment with multi-disciplinary personnel for joint payload and platform (ESPAStar-HP) operations
- Support on orbit activities, troubleshooting, anomaly resolution, test data collection and processing
- Help complete nominal payload activation, antenna calibration and On Orbit Characterization procedures, procs, and executable scripts prior to rehearsals.
- Help complete MOPS rehearsal preparation
- Take the lessons learned during PL I&T and put them to use in all mission ops products (plans, procedures, procs, L&Cs, CONOPS…)
- Coordinate with customer as required
Basic Qualifications for Level 3:
- Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 5 years of related experience; OR a Master's degree in STEM with 3 years of related experience; OR, a PhD with 1 year of related experience
- Availability for shift work
- Experience with Python (test scripts and tool development)
- Experience with space/ground system integration, test, or operations.
- Candidate must have an active U.S. Government Secret security clearance (or equivalent) at time of application and prior to start date. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to the candidate’s maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.
Basic Qualifications for Level 4:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 8 years of engineering experience; OR Master's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 6 years of engineering experience; OR PhD in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 4 years of engineering experience
- Availability for shift work
- Experience with Python (test scripts and tool development)
- Experience with space/ground system integration, test, or operations.
- Candidate must have an active U.S. Government Secret security clearance (or equivalent) at time of application and prior to start date. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to the candidate’s maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.
Preferred qualifications:
- Previous Mission Ops experience
- Solve open ended tasks with little to no oversight; is expected to be self-sufficient
- Ability to work in a rapid development environment
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Experience performing and prepping for rehearsal activities
- Experience executing operational procedures on-console
- Prior experience on sub class A programs
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:https://www.northropgrumman.com/space.
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life.
For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site: Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for:
- Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
- 401k
- Educational Assistance
- Life Insurance
- Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
- Paid Time Off
- Health & Wellness Resources
- Employee Discounts
- Flexible Schedules: for example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work.
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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.Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in STEM and 5 years of related experience for Level 3, or 8 years of engineering experience for Level 4
- Master's degree in STEM and 3 years of related experience for Level 3, or 6 years of engineering experience for Level 4
- PhD in STEM and 1 year of related experience for Level 3, or 4 years of engineering experience for Level 4
- Availability for shift work
- Experience with Python for test scripts and tool development
- Experience with space/ground system integration, testing, or operations
- Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at application and prior to start
- Previous mission operations experience
- Ability to solve open-ended tasks independently with little to no oversight
- Ability to work in a rapid development environment
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Experience preparing for and performing rehearsal activities
- Experience executing operational procedures on-console
- Prior experience on sub-class A programs
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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