At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not just a part of history, they're making history.
Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems sector is seeking a Sr. Principal Systems Administrator. This onsite position is located at Edwards AFB, CA.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Provide real time support for a Programs Ground Systems multi-user computer systems supporting flight operations and maintenance.
- Account for, control, and deploy equipment.
- Configure user, administrator, and service accounts.
- Work with partners to resolve technical and data movement issues between Ground Systems and external systems.
- Perform field integration, troubleshooting, and repair of communications systems in military flight operations environment, including operations on flightline, in a hangar, and in command-and-control centers.
- Adherence to checklists and procedures to ensure repeated success and providing redlines to procedures when necessary.
- Work with a team to provide on-site end user systems administration support 24 hours, 5 days a week.
- Provide systems administration support through updates, configurations, security patches, drawings, and feedback to the Responsible Engineers (REs).
- Communicate complex technical issues to local support, Main Operation Bases (MOBs), and Responsible Engineers (REs).
- Assist with trend analysis as needed for Responsible Engineers (REs).
- Perform/support review and analysis of supplier design data and definition of functional test requirements including acceptance, qualification, and system integration.
- Take responsibility for the testing, maintenance, and integration of communication systems equipment required to support ground and flight operations.
- Work with system admins, maintainers, and onsite personnel to troubleshoot and repair any internal operational issues.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, or Master's degree and 6 years of experience.
- Ability to be granted and maintain a DoD SECRET clearance. May be required to attain TOP SECRET clearance in the future.
- The ability to obtain Special Access Programs (SAP) within a period of time as determined by program and/or customer requirements, as a condition of continued employment.
- Current CompTIA Security Plus (or higher) certification.
- Experience with HP 3PAR.
- Experience with Cisco networking equipment.
- Experience with STIG compliance.
- Experience with Microsoft Office, Visio, Project, PowerPoint, and Excel.
- Ability to lift equipment weighing up to 40 pounds.
- Ability to work after hours and weekends as needed.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience with remote cloud architecture.
- Experience working in an Air Force flightline environment.
- Experience working with Air Force flight communications systems.
- Active DoD SECRET or TOP SECRET clearance.
- Active Specific Special Access Program access.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree and 8 years of experience, or Master's degree and 6 years of experience.
- Ability to be granted and maintain a DoD SECRET clearance (may require TOP SECRET in future).
- Ability to obtain Special Access Programs (SAP) access as required by program/customer.
- Current CompTIA Security Plus (or higher) certification.
- Experience with HP 3PAR.
- Experience with Cisco networking equipment.
- Experience with STIG compliance.
- Experience with Microsoft Office, Visio, Project, PowerPoint, and Excel.
- Ability to lift equipment weighing up to 40 pounds.
- Ability to work after hours and weekends as needed.
- Experience with remote cloud architecture.
- Experience working in an Air Force flightline environment.
- Experience working with Air Force flight communications systems.
- Active DoD SECRET or TOP SECRET clearance.
- Active Specific Special Access Program access.
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.









