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.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Staff Engineer Systems Architect to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Test & Evaluation organization. This position will be located on-site in Melbourne, Florida.
The Systems Architect will design system architectures, define key capabilities and requirements, and establish technology constraints and external interfaces in line with customer needs for the System Integration Lab environment. The individual will develop requirements and architectural diagrams that describe the system architecture and design and collaborate with other IPTs to obtain the information and data needed in the model.
We are looking for innovative thinkers who thrive in a fast-paced environment and are comfortable with multi-tasking, prioritizing tasks, giving verbal presentations, and self-educating without direct supervision. The candidate must have a firm understanding of traditional systems engineering concepts and methodologies and must be able to apply and adjust these concepts and methodologies to an accelerated process in the early stages of the engineering design. The candidate must be familiar with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), be able to work within an agile environment, and have the ability to work in a fast-paced multi-tasking environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Work with the cross-functional engineering teams to create a baseline architecture for the SIL and STIL
Develop the lab design requirements and architecture in Cameo
Align with System Test and Responsible Engineers to support development of Requirements Test and Verification Matrix (RTVM) Lab requirements
Manage major subs and Partners/Suppliers to include lab build plans and architectural phases
Present SIL/STIL designs to Program and Customer leadership at Systems Engineering Technical Readiness (SETR) events
Basic Qualifications
Basic Qualifications for Staff Systems Engineer:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) discipline AND 12 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 10 years of related professional/military experience, or equivalent
Must have an active US Government Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Top Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
Must have experience working as an engineer in a system test lab environment
Have an understanding of mission systems to include RF and satellite communications, message processing, mission systems architecture, air vehicle systems, simulation environments, and/or networking.
Experience developing model-based systems engineering products and/or Mission Engineering.
Understanding of mission systems to include RF and satellite communications, message processing, mission systems architecture, air vehicle systems, simulation environments, and networking.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience working in a system test lab environment
Experience communicating design concepts to management and customers
Experienced using MBSE tools like CAMEO
Experienced with Electronic Principles (MIL-STD-1553, RS-232 & 422, ARINC 429, Ethernet & fiber)
Familiarity with avionics systems and equipment
Current DoD Top Secret clearance
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 12 years of related professional or military experience, or a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 10 years of related professional or military experience, or equivalent
- Active U.S. Government Secret clearance with a background investigation within the past six years or enrollment in Continuous Evaluation
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret clearance and Special Access Program eligibility within a reasonable timeframe
- Experience working as an engineer in a system test lab environment
- Understanding of mission systems, including RF and satellite communications, message processing, mission systems architecture, air vehicle systems, simulation environments, and networking
- Experience developing Model-Based Systems Engineering products and/or Mission Engineering
- Experience working in a system test lab environment
- Experience communicating design concepts to management and customers
- Experience using MBSE tools such as Cameo
- Experience with electronic principles including MIL-STD-1553, RS-232, RS-422, ARINC 429, Ethernet, and fiber
- Familiarity with avionics systems and equipment
- Current Department of Defense Top Secret clearance
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.





