Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Principal/ Sr. Principal Electronics Engineer - Mission Systems to join our team in El Segundo, CA or San Diego (Rancho Bernardo), CA.
This candidate will be Responsible for designing mission systems technical baselines (subsystems, components, software) to meet platform requirements. Lead trade studies, technical analysis, modeling & simulation, risk/opportunity management, and support strategic objectives. Decompose system-level requirements, track/report metrics, and maintain strong relationships with customers, suppliers, peers, and leadership.
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is NO remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required
Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Mission system element design, capability assessment, interface decomposition, verification/validation planning, and mission integration during development
Support technical business development (proposals, white papers)
Engage customers/end users to translate requirements into deployable products
Perform subsystem trades, analysis of alternatives, modeling, and simulation for mission effects, data, or capabilities (including air vehicles, payloads, ground segments, mission planning, CONOPS, DRM, system security, and interfaces)
***This position can be filled at either the Principal Electronics Engineer level or the Sr. Principal Electronics Engineer level, depending upon the qualifications below.***
Basic Qualifications:
Principal Electronics Engineer: Must have a Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited university AND 5 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university AND 3 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering; or a Ph.D. AND 1 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering.
Sr. Principal Electronics Engineer: Must have a Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited university AND 8 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university AND 6 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering; or a Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience in Engineering.
Experience supporting Supplier SSOW, SRD, and scope discussions
Significant experience in at least two of the following:
Technical leadership on DoD development projects
System architecture concepts/solutions
Performance modeling & simulation
Designing systems with COTS/GOTS components for:
DoD interoperability RF or EO/IR systems for sensing, EW, or communications Non-kinetic effects (cyber operations) DoD cyber requirements, RMF, and solutions
Identifying/managing system capabilities, producing architecture artifacts
Preparing/reviewing architecture designs and presenting at DoD customer reviews
Must have an active 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:
- Engineering experience on a DoD program
- Active DoD Top Secret clearance
- Prior SAP or SCI clearance
- Significant architecture, design, integration, and test experience
- Systems engineering experience (requirements derivation/flow-down, verification/validation)
- Experience leading design of mission systems/subsystems
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in STEM with 5+ years engineering experience, OR Master's with 3+ years, OR Ph.D. with 1+ year
- For Sr. Principal: Bachelor's degree in STEM with 8+ years engineering experience, OR Master's with 6+ years, OR Ph.D. with 4+ years
- Experience supporting Supplier SSOW, SRD, and scope discussions
- Significant experience in at least two: DoD technical leadership, system architecture, performance modeling & simulation, designing systems with COTS/GOTS, DoD interoperability (RF or EO/IR), EW or communications, non-kinetic/cyber operations, RMF and solutions
- Active US Government Secret clearance with background investigation within past 6 years or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within a reasonable time
- Ability to work full-time on-site (El Segundo, CA or San Diego, CA) and travel up to 25%
- Ability to engage customers/end users and support technical business development (proposals, white papers)
- Experience decomposing system-level requirements and planning verification/validation
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
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.

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