Northrop Grumman Space Systems—Missile Defense Integration offers an excellent opportunity for a Sr. Principal Engineer, System Safety (26-372), to join our team of skilled and diverse professionals. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, or Huntsville, AL, this role is essential to supporting the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at the strategic, regional, and operational levels.
This position does not provide relocation assistance and requires on-site work with no remote options.
Position Overview:
The C2BMC program is an essential element of the Missile Defense System, providing the operational framework that enables the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders to plan ballistic missile defense operations, monitor the battlespace, and dynamically manage networked sensors and weapon systems to achieve global and regional mission objectives.
Within this context, the Systems Safety Engineer provides systems safety engineering expertise and develops program safety plans that guide the engineering team in applying safety guidance and standards. The successful candidate will support Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and other program personnel and will perform additional systems engineering tasks as needed to ensure safe, effective, and reliable system performance.
Essential Functions:
In this role, you will:
Lead and perform systems safety engineering activities for C2BMC capabilities, providing safety-focused guidance to multidisciplinary engineering teams
Develop, implement, and maintain program system safety plans that ensure compliance with applicable safety standards, policies, and customer guidance
Integrate system safety considerations across product lines and capabilities, ensuring safety is addressed from concept through design, integration, test, and fielding
Generate and contribute to responsible sections of capability specifications, including safety-related requirements and criteria
Train and mentor less-experienced personnel in systems engineering and system/software safety techniques, methods, and best practices
Review the content and technical details of engineering products to ensure system safety requirements are appropriately addressed and documented
Act as a technical interface to MDA working-level counterparts and other stakeholders on an as-required basis, representing C2BMC system safety positions and analyses
Apply systems engineering and software systems engineering principles—particularly in the context of system safety assessment and impact analysis—to both new system developments and integration of existing systems
Support hazard identification, hazard analysis, and risk assessments to identify safety-critical functions, potential hazards, and mitigation strategies
Coordinate with systems engineering, software engineering, integration and test, and operations teams to ensure safety requirements are properly integrated and verified
Support the development and maintenance of safety-related artifacts and documentation as required by the program and customer
Interface with internal team members, C2BMC management, and government customers to ensure high-quality system safety products are generated on schedule and within available resources
Support occasional travel to customers or test locations, as required, to participate in reviews, working groups, and test activities
Basic Qualifications:
Please list your current security clearance and IAT or relevant certifications on your resume, if applicable.
A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 8 years of experience; or a Master’s degree in a related field with 6 years of relevant work experience; or 12 years of relevant work experience may be considered as an alternative to a degree
Applicants must have a current, active in-scope Government-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
Demonstrated experience in systems engineering and software systems engineering, with emphasis on developing new systems and integrating existing systems
Experience performing system safety assessment and evaluating safety impacts across complex systems
Ability to collaborate in an integrated team environment with systems, software, and specialty engineers to develop and implement safe, effective solutions
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document safety analyses and present technical information to diverse audiences
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities
Systems engineering background with specialization in system and software safety
Experience analyzing system and software designs to ensure safety requirements are met, and hazards are controlled or eliminated
Ability to apply engineering principles to recommend and influence design features that meet safety criteria, including fault tolerance, fail-safe behavior, and hazard mitigation
Experience developing safety documents to support customer and test requirements, such as:
System Safety Program Plans (SSPP)
System Safety Analyses/Assessments (SSA/SRA)
Safety Assessment Reports (SAR)
Experience with hazard identification techniques and participation in hazard analysis activities (e.g., Preliminary Hazard Analysis, System Hazard Analysis)
Experience participating in or supporting System Safety Working Groups (SSWGs)
Knowledge of MIL‑STD‑882E and experience implementing a compliant system safety program on complex defense systems
Experience identifying safety‑critical requirements and defining associated verification and validation requirements
Preferred Qualifications:
Prior experience with missile defense, command and control, or other large, complex weapon systems is highly desirable
Colorado: $117,500 - $176,300
Alabama: $123,400 - $185,000
What We Can Offer You:
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive work environment that encourages your growth, benefiting both employees and the company. The benefits are flexible and customizable, enabling you to choose options that suit your individual and family needs. Your benefits will include the following:
Health Plan
Savings Plan
Paid Time Off
Education Assistance
Training and Development
Flexible Work Arrangements
https://benefits.northropgrumman.com/us/en2/BenefitsOverview/Pages/default.aspx
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Primary Level Salary Range: $117,500.00 - $185,000.00The 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 Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field plus 8 years of experience; alternatively, a related master’s degree plus 6 years of relevant experience, or 12 years of relevant experience without a degree.
- Current, active, in-scope government-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application and start.
- Demonstrated systems engineering and software systems engineering experience involving new system development and integration of existing systems.
- Experience performing system safety assessments and evaluating safety impacts across complex systems.
- Experience analyzing system and software designs to ensure safety requirements are met and hazards are controlled or eliminated.
- Experience applying engineering principles to recommend design features meeting safety criteria, including fault tolerance, fail-safe behavior, and hazard mitigation.
- Experience developing System Safety Program Plans, System Safety Analyses or Assessments, and Safety Assessment Reports.
- Experience with hazard identification and hazard analysis activities, including Preliminary Hazard Analysis and System Hazard Analysis.
- Experience participating in or supporting System Safety Working Groups.
- Knowledge of MIL-STD-882E and experience implementing compliant system safety programs on complex defense systems.
- Experience identifying safety-critical requirements and defining associated verification and validation requirements.
- Ability to collaborate with systems, software, integration and test, and specialty engineering teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication, analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and prioritization skills.
- Prior experience with missile defense, command and control, or other large complex weapon systems.
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.
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.








