Staff Engineer Systems – Virtualization Architect (26-462)

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription

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 only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems—Missile Defense Integration offers an excellent opportunity for a Staff Engineer Systems – Virtualization Architect (26-462) to join our team of skilled and diverse professionals. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, 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 Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) program is a key component of the Missile Defense System. It is a vital operational system that enables the U.S. president, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at strategic, regional, and operational levels to plan ballistic missile defense operations systematically, collectively monitor the battle, and dynamically control networked sensors and weapon systems to achieve global and regional mission goals. C2BMC supports layered missile defense capabilities that enable an optimized response to threats across all ranges and flight phases. It serves as a force multiplier by networking, integrating, and synchronizing autonomous sensor and weapon systems and operations, both globally and regionally, to improve performance. C2BMC is essential for all ground and flight tests that verify and demonstrate the current and future capabilities of missile defense systems.

In this role, the Staff Virtualization Architect will support the design, implementation, and operation of modern virtualized and software-defined networking environments for the C2BMC program. This role focuses on deploying and managing VMware vSphere and VMware NSX infrastructure to ensure secure, scalable, and highly available compute and network services. The ideal candidate will collaborate with infrastructure, storage, and security teams to troubleshoot issues, optimize system performance, enforce micro-segmentation, and maintain reliable connectivity across virtual and physical environments. The candidate will work within an agile Scrum team and plan work based on customer requirements and program contractual agreements.

Essential Functions:

• Deploy, configure, and maintain VMware NSX environments, including transport zones, segments, edge nodes, and logical networking components (Tier‑0/Tier‑1 gateways, NAT, and routing protocols such as BGP)

• Design and enforce network security rules and policies using NSX distributed firewall (DFW), gateway firewall, and micro-segmentation techniques to support secure C2BMC operations

• Design, deploy, and manage VMware vSphere virtual infrastructure, including ESXi hosts, clusters, and vCenter, ensuring appropriate configuration of high availability (HA), Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), and storage integration

• Monitor and troubleshoot connectivity, performance, capacity, and security issues using tools such as Traceflow, packet capture, NSX CLI, and other VMware monitoring utilities

• Integrate VMware NSX and vSphere with underlying physical network and storage infrastructure (e.g., NetApp NAS/SAN), collaborating with cross-functional teams to support upgrades, deployments, and infrastructure projects

• Travel to remote locations to lead and perform network and virtualization installations, independently perform troubleshooting, and provide clear, timely status updates to program and customer personnel

• Support critical activities outside of standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, as required to meet mission needs

• Apply agile principles within a scrum team to plan, estimate, and execute work in alignment with customer priorities and program commitments

• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including design artifacts, implementation procedures, and as-built configurations using tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Visio

• Perform any other tasks required by the program to support reliable and secure C2BMC operations

Basic Qualifications:

 

Please list your current security clearance and IAT or relevant certifications on your resume, if applicable.

 

• A Bachelor’s Degree in STEM Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Engineering, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 12 years of experience; or a Master’s degree (preferred) in a STEM-related field with 10 years of relevant work experience; or a PhD in a related discipline with 8 years of relevant work experience
• Applicants must have a current, active Government-Issued 8140 certification at IAT Level II or higher (such as Security+, GSEC, SCNP, SSCP, CISSP, CISA, GSE, SCNA, etc.) at the time of application, which is required to start. The candidate is responsible for maintaining their 8140 certifications throughout the entire contract period
• Applicants must have a current, active in-scope Government-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start, with the ability to obtain Top Secret clearance
• Must have an active VCP – VCF Administrator and/or Architect Certification
• Active legacy certifications such as VMware Certified Professional (VCP) in Data Center Virtualization (DCV) and/or Network Virtualization (NV) are also acceptable
• Hands-on experience deploying, managing, and troubleshooting VMware NSX and vSphere environments, including ESXi hosts, vCenter, NetApp NAS/SAN, Windows Server, and SQL Server
• Strong understanding of virtualization concepts such as vMotion, HA, DRS, storage integration, and software containerization concepts
• In-depth understanding of networking, including the OSI Model, TCP/IP, routing protocols, network traffic analysis, and troubleshooting
• Effective verbal and written communication and presentation skills, including proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint and Visio
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and independently on large field projects
• Experience with Agile frameworks and applying agile fundamentals in engineering work

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering is highly preferred

• Graduate Certificate: Model-Based Systems Engineering (Ex: Stevens, Caltech, UCSD, USC, GWU, INCOSE cohort, etc.)

• Certification: INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) Certification

• Certification: Object Management Group Certified Systems Modeling Professional - Model Builder Intermediate (OCSMP - MBI)

• Applicants with a current, active in-scope Government-issued Top Secret security clearance at the time of application are highly desired

• Experience with VMware storage solutions such as vSAN, Site Recovery Manager (SRM), and Storage Area Networks

• Knowledge of automation tools or scripting for VMware administration (e.g., PowerCLI, Python, or Ansible)

• Familiarity with hybrid cloud environments (e.g., VMware Cloud on AWS, Azure VMware Solution)

• Exposure to monitoring and reporting tools (e.g., vRealize Operations, vROps, or similar)

• Experience mentoring junior staff or leading virtualization projects or deployments

• Experience creating VM deployment templates and automated deployments

• Microsoft Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux server experience with multi-user applications

• Understanding of standard DoD security practices, including STIG compliance and system accreditation

• Knowledge of authentication and encryption methods/capabilities (e.g., ACS, Active Directory, GEM‑X)

• Experience with Photon OS

• Prior experience with C2BMC or similar command-and-control systems

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: $161,000.00 - $241,400.00

The 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.