Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Sr. Staff Systems Engineer – Triton SEIT Development Lead to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Systems Engineering organization. This role is located in Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, CA.
In this role, you will report to the Triton Systems Engineering IPT Lead and will be the lead for 45-50 engineers of the Triton SEIT Development team. You will be responsible for leading a range of diverse engineering design teams to provide imaginative, technical solutions to a wide range of difficult problems across the Triton Development Program as part of the Triton Enterprise. You'll lead a wide range of SE disciplines and tasks including requirements and use case development, capability (hardware and software) development, integration planning, lab integration, test planning, requirements verification, cybersecurity, EMI/EMC, system safety and Human Factors (HFE). Additionally, you will be expected to lead tasking and provide direction in establishment and management of the technical baseline including Integrated Functional Capability (IFC) development and technical configuration and change management.
Organizationally you will be closely aligned with the Triton Development Chief Engineers’ office and will be required to closely coordinate and collaborate with the Chief Engineer and constituent IPTs to drive design and execution of new Triton capabilities. This includes leadership of Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SETR) including SRR, PDR and CDR. You will be responsible for effective communication of critical design decisions and expected execution timelines and risks to the program customer, PMA-262.
Finally, you will be responsible for managing the cost and schedule performance of the Triton SEIT Development team and will act as the Control Account Manager (CAM) for their team. This includes managing associated risks and opportunities to technical and programmatic execution of the SEIT Development portfolio as well as writing and bidding proposals for future capability work.
Essential Functions/ Responsibilities:
Lead the Triton Systems Engineering Development sub-IPT in execution of Systems Engineering tasking including but not limited to: requirements development, decomposition and verification, use case development and analysis, Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SETR), system integration, configuration management, change integration, cybersecurity, EMI/EMC and System Safety
Collaborate with Chief Engineer, IPTs, Suppliers, Customer and Program Management to define and execute design vision for future Triton Development capabilities
Drive first-time quality across Triton Development capability design and promote culture of technical rigor within Triton Systems Engineering team
Assist in capture of future development work through bid of future proposed efforts
Ensure contractual requirements are met for Systems Engineering team including timely update and submittal of deliverables of various CDRLs to ensure customer needs are met
Ensure timely, cost effective execution of Systems Engineering tasking including within the Triton Development Program Portfolio.
Act as Control Account Manager (CAM) for Triton SEIT Development team consisting of approximately 45-50 Equivalent Persons (EP)
Drive and champion continuous process improvement across various Systems Engineering disciplines
Provide technical guidance, leadership and mentorship to multi-disciplinary team across Systems Engineering to ensure success of team members across all levels
Lead technical anomaly resolution, including adjudication of findings to current and future builds, lead internal and external technical change/ review coordination, and manage the technical baseline of the program
Basic Qualifications:
Must have a Bachelors degree in a STEM field and at least 14 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least 12 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least 10 years of relevant military / professional experience
Must have experience executing Systems Engineering processes, including full Systems Engineering life cycle and Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SETR)
Must have experience in Earned Value Management (EVMS) and leading a technical team of 10 Equivalent Persons or greater
Must have experience briefing or leading technical discussions with outside stakeholders including other IPTs, customer representatives or supplier personnel
Must have an active DoD Secret or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently 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.
Preferred Qualifications:
Active DoD Top Secret clearance with current SCI and/or SAP
Experience in technical leadership as IPT/sub-IPT lead or technical/thread lead in systems engineering, vehicle engineering, avionics, software, electronics, or mission payloads
Experience in developing, preparing and defending proposal bids for technical programs
Experience in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
Experience in system-level/ hardware-in-the-loop integration/test, and/or other development activities
Demonstrated experience in Systems Engineering specialty disciplines (cybersecurity, safety, EMI or Human Factors)
Demonstrated championing of technical change which resulted in performance improvements and/or team efficiencies
Familiarity with HALE ISR UAV programs (Triton, RQ-4)
Familiarity with Systems Engineering tools such TeamCenter PLC, JIRA/Confluence and DOORS
Demonstrated experience with IFC Development and Management
Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in a STEM field
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field with 14+ years experience, OR Master's with 12+ years, OR PhD with 10+ years
- Experience executing full Systems Engineering life cycle and leading Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SETR)
- Experience with Earned Value Management (EVMS) and leading a technical team of 10 Equivalent Persons or greater
- Experience briefing or leading technical discussions with outside stakeholders, IPTs, customers or suppliers
- Active DoD Secret or higher clearance with background investigation within last 6 years or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within a reasonable amount of time
- Experience in systems engineering specialty disciplines (cybersecurity, safety, EMI, Human Factors)
- Experience in technical leadership as IPT/sub-IPT lead or technical/thread lead (vehicle engineering, avionics, software, electronics, mission payloads)
- Experience developing, preparing and defending proposal bids for technical programs
- Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and system-level/hardware-in-the-loop integration/test
- Familiarity with HALE ISR UAV programs (Triton, RQ-4) and IFC development/management
- Familiarity with Systems Engineering tools such as TeamCenter, JIRA/Confluence, and DOORS
- Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in a STEM field
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.

.png)






