Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Principal / Sr. Principal Systems ground Test Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Special Test Equipment organization. This role is located in Palmdale, CA.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Plan, schedule and conduct test events, Lead team of technicians and engineers during test execution. Author work authorizations (TWS, Prep Items, etc) for test and troubleshooting purposes. Work with Responsible Engineers (REs) and System Test Engineers (STE) to develop test procedures, perform test article operations in a production environment. Attend meetings as test subject matter expert to include TRRs, test planning, test documentation preparation, engineering briefs/debriefs, and will lead our team Through test execution.
The selected candidate will also:
- Provide support for post-test data processing and analysis as required to support test objectives.
- Provide first line engineering support for maintenance, repairs, and modifications to systems under test, supervision, and direction to maintenance personnel for maintenance, repairs, and modifications to systems under test.
- Analyze and interpret test data, provide recommendations to engineering and Leadership for alternate means of compliance as required, and support development and execution of test objectives.
“This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on qualifications listed below.”
Basic Qualifications
“This is an individual contributor role that may be filled at the Principal or Senior Principal level based on the qualifications listed below”
Basic Qualifications for Principal Engineer Systems Test:
- Must have a Bachelor of Science degree AND 5 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree AND 3 years of related professional/military experience OR a Ph.D. AND 0 years of related professional/military experience
- Must have experience in a system test and/or aircraft test/operational environment
- Be familiar with blueprints, engineering guidance, data collection etc.
- Be familiar with special test equipment, i.e. oscilloscopes, network analyzers etc
- 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.
- Must be able to work multiple shifts when required: 4x10 schedule (Mon-Thurs) 1st shift; 4X10 (Mon-Thurs) 2nd shift; 3x10 schedule (Fri, Sa, Su) 1st shift. 3x10 schedule (Fri, Sa, Su) 2nd shift.
- Must be able to work multiple shifts when required: 4x10 schedule (Mon-Thurs) 1st shift; 4X10 (Mon-Thurs) 2nd shift; 3x10 schedule (Fri, Sa, Su) 1st shift. 3x10 schedule (Fri, Sa, Su) 2nd shift.
Basic Qualifications Sr. Principal Engineer Systems Test:
- Must have a Bachelor of Science degree AND 8 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree AND 7 years of related professional/military experience OR a Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience
- Must have experience in a system test and/or aircraft test/operational environment
- Be familiar with blueprints, engineering guidance, data collection etc.
- Be familiar with special test equipment, i.e. oscilloscopes, network analyzers etc
- 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.
- Must be able to work multiple shifts when required: 4x10 schedule (Mon-Thurs) 1st shift; 4X10 (Mon-Thurs) 2nd shift; 3x10 schedule (Fri, Sa, Su) 1st shift. 3x10 schedule (Fri, Sa, Su) 2nd shift.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience as a Test Engineer that includes test planning, execution, and operations.
- Experience with Test Work Sheets, Prep Items and other test work documents
- Experience with MES, FMT or other documentation systems
- Active Program clearance.
- Active Top-Secret clearance.
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Science degree AND 5 years related experience OR Master of Science AND 3 years OR Ph.D. AND 0 years (Principal level)
- Bachelor of Science degree AND 8 years related experience OR Master of Science AND 7 years OR Ph.D. AND 4 years (Sr. Principal level)
- Experience in a system test and/or aircraft test/operational environment
- Familiarity with blueprints, engineering guidance, and data collection
- Familiarity with special test equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes, network analyzers)
- Active US Government Secret clearance (background investigation within past 6 years or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation)
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance
- Ability to work required multi-shift schedules (4x10, 3x10 including nights/weekends)
- Experience as a Test Engineer including test planning, execution, and operations
- Experience with Test Work Sheets (TWS), Prep Items and other test documentation
- Experience with MES, FMT, or other documentation systems
- Active program-level clearance
- Active Top-Secret clearance (preferred)
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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