Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is currently seeking a Sr Staff Systems Engineer IPTL to support our Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) missile program with our talented Advanced Weapons team. An active Government issued clearance is required to start.
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in Northridge, CA.
The Lead SE plans and executes system engineering core functions; collects, manages, and reports engineering metrics; and is responsible for V&V of engineering across all program elements (systems/hardware/software/ support/integration and test). Lead SE is typically responsible for ensuring teams have qualified staff to develop and demonstrate technical performance while satisfying allocated cost and schedule requirements.
The ideal candidate will have experience in the full systems engineering lifecycle of missile / weapon system development program(s) and leading at least part of that lifecycle. They will also have the technical depth on one or more of the subsystems of missile/weapon system, e.g., RF/sensors, guidance, navigation, control, telemetry/communication, and airframe. This candidate will work directly with the program’s Chief Engineer and Program Execution Manager and collaborate with the various IPTs to ensure the design and development of the different subsystems and the integration of those are technically sound on budget, and on schedule.
Responsibilities:
- Ensures that the program is adhering to sound engineering processes in the development, production, test and sustainment products for our customers and is compliant with company policy, procedures, and quality standards.
- Manage the vertical and horizontal technical and performance integration throughout the product teams and program life cycle.
- Develop and manage key design criteria and technical performance measures
- Manage the weapon system architecture through application of model-based systems engineering practices and the object-oriented system engineering methodology
- Manage the performance of system-level verification activities
- Support the CE and PMO in the status, issues, and challenges.
- Plan and execute early integration activities with external stakeholders.
- Plan and execute all test related program reviews such as Test Readiness Reviews.
- Ensure that key System Engineering milestones and accomplishments are met or completed in accordance with program schedule
- Perform risk management IAW the program risk management processes
- Provide subject matter expertise and technical ownership of critical system functions that cross multiple subsystems.
- Review system/subsystem design documentation and models for technical correctness and completeness.
- Ensure proper engineering rigor across engineering design activities via process, and documentation/modeling practices (IAW Functional Best Practices and Principles and Operating Practices (PrOP)).
- Effectively communicate the SiAW weapon system technical baseline to internal and external stakeholders.
- Provide support to the Risk and Opportunities Management Board and the resulting risk mitigation and opportunity capture actions.
Basic Qualifications for Senior Staff Systems Engineer – Level 6:
- Bachelor of Science in an engineering discipline and a minimum of fourteen (14) years of engineering experience; or a Master of Science in an engineering discipline and a minimum of twelve (12) years of engineering experience: or PhD and ten (10) years.
- Experience in Systems Engineering leadership on major Government Systems acquisition programs leading teams of 20 or more
- Experience with systems integration, test execution, test results documentation, and verification
- Experience with systems designs with Model-Based Systems Engineering
- Experience working with customers, end users, hardware design teams, and software design teams
- Experience in leading complex system/subsystem requirement, design, integration, test, and verification
- Theoretical knowledge of the System Engineering V-Model and hands on experience executing the systems engineering workflow
- Mentoring and providing career development direction to junior engineers
- Current Government Secret security clearance adjudicated within the past 5 years with ability to be cleared for a Special Access Program (SAP)
Preferred Qualifications for Senior Staff Systems Engineer – Level 6:
- Prior leadership experience in IPT or SEIT Lead roles or equivalent
- Experience in Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA)
- Experience in digital engineering
- Team player with a strong work ethic and initiative to perform in a cross functional team
- Excellent decision making and communication (written and oral) skills
- Demonstrated analytical thinking, problem solving skills, and creativity
#LI-MA.
Primary Level Salary Range: $192,800.00 - $289,200.00The 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 of Science in an engineering discipline and minimum 14 years experience; or Master of Science and minimum 12 years; or PhD and 10 years.
- Experience in systems engineering leadership on major Government systems acquisition programs leading teams of 20 or more.
- Experience with systems integration, test execution, test results documentation, and verification.
- Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
- Experience working with customers, end users, hardware design teams, and software design teams.
- Experience leading complex system/subsystem requirement, design, integration, test, and verification.
- Theoretical knowledge of the System Engineering V-Model and hands-on experience executing systems engineering workflow.
- Mentoring and providing career development direction to junior engineers.
- Current Government Secret security clearance adjudicated within the past 5 years with ability to be cleared for a Special Access Program (SAP).
- Prior leadership experience in IPT or SEIT Lead roles or equivalent.
- Experience in Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA).
- Experience in digital engineering.
- Strong decision making, communication, analytical thinking, and problem solving skills; team player with strong work ethic.
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
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