Northrop Grumman IT Solutions team is seeking a highly qualified IT Systems Engineer Level 4 to support the Strike Program.
This position's primary locations is Palmdale, CA.
Role Overview
The selected candidate will serve as the technical lead for the Strike Program, responsible for overall system design and integration. The role involves interfacing with management, project managers, enterprise architects, technical specialists, and customers to drive technical discussions and ensure program success.
Key Responsibilities
Lead technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk analysis, and supportability assessments for total systems.
Perform analyses at all levels, including concept/scope, requirements, design, verification and validation, and transition to production.
Conduct functional and schedule analysis, trade studies, and interface definition studies to translate customer requirements into optimal solutions, considering technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
Clearly articulate analysis results to colleagues, management, and customers.
Security Clearance
Must possess an active government Secret or higher security clearance (or active within the last 24 months) and be able to obtain a Top-Secret clearance.
Clearance must meet government customer criteria for the Strike Program.
Specific Roles and Responsibilities
Perform functional analysis, timeline analysis, detailed trade studies, requirements allocation, and interface definition studies.
Demonstrate strong foundational expertise in Information Technologies, with subject matter expertise in one or more of the following areas:
Virtualization
Data Center designs and solutions (on-premises and co-location) Data Center Backup design Software as a Service Cloud technologies
Determine high-level business requirements and manage specifications throughout the systems lifecycle.
Conduct requirements elicitation, definition, systems analysis, and design.
Architect definition, interface, and context diagram documentation.
Identify compute and storage requirements to support customer needs.
Provide and verify installation diagrams/models for compute and storage facilities.
Deliver As-Is and To-Be technical designs and assessments, perform gap analysis.
Identify technology roadmaps to reduce program execution costs.
Define disaster recovery requirements and implementation.
Implementation and Execution
Establish test plans, requirements traceability, and transition to production artifacts.
Ensure system validation is performed against requirements.
Execute system design for Data Center and Network Architecture & Design, including supplier integration and extranet implementation.
Execute system design for application and data integration.
Implement security technologies to ensure policy compliance.
Manage and track project status, metrics, schedules, and prepare status reports; ensure remediation and ongoing compliance goals are met.
Systems Engineering Background
Demonstrate systems engineering and systems thinking experience across the product development lifecycle (concept design, detailed design, integration, verification, qualification, and validation).
Prepare and present briefings, papers, and reports; lead working groups and technical interchange meetings.
Develop and derive customer/product requirements into total systems solutions, considering technical, schedule, cost, and non-functional requirements (user experience, cyber and physical security), often within tools such as DOORS or requirement traceability matrices.
Develop and organize test plans, integrate test cases, and ensure complete and documented testing, including automated verification and validation methods.
Demonstrate familiarity with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (e.g., Cameo, Orbus).
Perform detailed market analysis and trade studies.
Basic Qualifications
9 years of IT Project Management, System Engineering, or related IT experience with a BS degree in a STEM or Business discipline; or 7 years with a related Masters; or 4 years with a PhD.
In lieu of education, 13 years of relevant IT experience with at least 4 years in System Engineering.
Experience with designing IT systems and infrastructure.
Understanding of Networking Architecture and Design.
Understanding of Cloud Architecture and Design.
Must possess an active US Government Secret or higher security clearance (or active within the last 24 months) and be able to obtain a Top-Secret clearance.
CIDO
Primary 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
- 9 years IT Project Management, System Engineering, or related IT experience with a BS (or 7 years with Masters, 4 years with PhD)
- In lieu of education, 13 years relevant IT experience with at least 4 years in System Engineering
- Active US Government Secret or higher security clearance (or active within last 24 months) and ability to obtain Top-Secret clearance
- U.S. Citizenship
- Experience designing IT systems and infrastructure, including data center and storage/compute sizing
- Understanding of Network Architecture and Design
- Understanding of Cloud Architecture and Design
- Experience with requirements management and traceability (e.g., DOORS or equivalent)
- Familiarity with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (e.g., Cameo, Orbus)
- Experience developing test plans, integrating test cases, and performing verification and validation (including automated methods)
- Experience with virtualization, backup design, SaaS, and cloud technologies for data centers
- Ability to perform trade studies, requirements allocation, interface definition, and lifecycle systems engineering
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.







