Northrop Grumman Space Sector is seeking a Staff Propulsion Engineer – Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem to join our Thermal, Propulsion & Cryocooler Systems (TPCS) department within our Vehicle Engineering directorate (West Region Engineering).
The Staff Propulsion Engineer’s primary responsibility is to lead the propulsion subsystem through the full lifecycle, from design and analysis through build and delivery. This position will be based on-site in Redondo Beach, CA.
Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Leading the architecture and design of the spacecraft propulsion system
- Overseeing selection and procurement of fluid components
- Performing analyses in fluid mechanics and scoping, bounding, and reviewing analyses in combustion, aerodynamics, thermal, and stress
- Guiding mechanical design and overseeing manufacturing operations and hot-fire testing on flight hardware
- Interfacing with program customers and suppliers
- Overseeing testing campaigns
- Participating in issue resolution
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) discipline with 12+ years of propulsion engineering or other relevant engineering experience; OR Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 10+ years of stated experience; OR Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of stated experience
- Experience with monopropellant or bipropellant spacecraft propulsion systems
- Must have an active U.S. Government SCI access at the time of application OR an active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain SCI access within a reasonable period, as determined by the company, prior to the start date
Preferred Qualifications:
- Active, in-scope U.S. Government Top Secret/SCI clearance
- Experience developing and verifying requirements for propulsion subsystems
- Experience performing propulsion subsystem fluid analyses
- Experience leading design reviews with internal and external customers
- Experience working with hypergolic propellants
- Experience leading teams
- Experience managing schedules and performing earned value management
- Experience with spacecraft propulsion component hardware procurement and supply chain operations
- Experience writing test plans for propulsion subsystem and thruster testing
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Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00The 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’s degree in a STEM discipline and 12+ years of propulsion engineering or relevant engineering experience
- Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 10+ years of propulsion engineering or relevant engineering experience
- Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 8+ years of propulsion engineering or relevant engineering experience
- Experience with monopropellant or bipropellant spacecraft propulsion systems
- Active U.S. Government SCI access at application, or active Top Secret clearance with ability to obtain SCI access before start
- Active, in-scope U.S. Government Top Secret/SCI clearance
- Experience developing and verifying propulsion subsystem requirements
- Experience performing propulsion subsystem fluid analyses
- Experience leading design reviews with internal and external customers
- Experience working with hypergolic propellants
- Experience leading teams
- Experience managing schedules and performing earned value management
- Experience with spacecraft propulsion component hardware procurement and supply-chain operations
- Experience writing test plans for propulsion subsystem and thruster testing
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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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple medical plan options by region alongside dental, vision, mental‑health resources, and wellness programs. Recent materials also highlight added family‑building support, including a dedicated fertility benefit.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) savings plan is positioned as competitive with a company match, auto‑escalation features, and access to an employee stock fund/ESPP. Official filings and benefits guides emphasize retirement as a core element of the Total Rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Many sites offer a 9/80 schedule, generous PTO, paid holidays, and flexible/telework options where program needs allow. Paid parental and caregiver leave are prominently featured, with recent enhancements for the delivering parent.
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