Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems Autonomous Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance and Targeting (AISR&T) business area seeks a Principal Engineer or Senior Principal Engineer Guidance Navigation Control to support the Guidance & Control (G&C) team in Rancho Bernardo, CA.
Candidate will perform various G&C tasks for the RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4 Triton Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Program. These activities include non-linear 6DOF Simulation analysis (including stress testing, trade studies, mission analysis, etc), linear MATLAB analysis (gain/phase margin determination, gain/filter determination, etc), embedded flight control software design/code/test, and supporting flight testing (pre-flight predictions, real-time support, post flight analysis, parameter identification, etc). The candidate will keep abreast of or develop new or improved G&C methods or processes in order to maintain current state-of-the-art tools for the department. He/she may be called upon to support proposal preparation efforts and new project activities, including technical, cost, and schedule.
This position can be filled at either the Principal Engineer or Senior Principal Engineer level.
Basic Qualifications:
- Basic qualifications for a Principal Engineer Guidance Navigation Control include a Bachelor's in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) and at least 5 years of experience, a Master's Degree in STEM with 3 years of experience, or a PhD Degree with no experience.
- Basic qualifications for a Senior Principal Engineer Guidance Navigation Control include a Bachelor's in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) and at least 8 years of experience, a Master's Degree in STEM with 6 years of experience, or a PhD Degree with 3 years of experience.
- Proficient in Matlab and Simulink
- Knowledge of C/C++ and Python
- Knowledge of flight sciences, control law development, or control system analysis.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret Clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or 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.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Excellent communication, analysis and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team environment
- Clearance Level: Secret (S) or ability to obtain a Secret
- Proficient in C/C++
- UAVs: Some experience
- Flight Test: Some experience
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with at least 5 years of experience for Principal level, or at least 8 years for Senior Principal level
- Alternatively, a STEM master’s degree with 3 years of experience for Principal level, or 6 years for Senior Principal level
- Alternatively, a STEM PhD with no experience for Principal level, or 3 years of experience for Senior Principal level
- Proficiency in MATLAB and Simulink
- Knowledge of C/C++ and Python
- Knowledge of flight sciences, control law development, or control system analysis
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program clearance within a reasonable timeframe
- Excellent communication, analysis, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team environment
- Proficiency in C/C++
- Experience with unmanned aerial vehicles
- Flight-test experience
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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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.
