Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is seeking a System Engineer Level 3/4 - Mission Operations Engineer to join our team in Redondo Beach, CA.
*This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.
What you’ll get to do:
- Help define and refine how a unique mission set is executed in partnership with the lead and broader team.
- Develop concepts of operations (CONOPS) and contribute to the refinement of complex mission employment approaches.
- Translate CONOPS into detailed procedures, checklists, and playbooks for day‑to‑day operations.
- Contribute to the design, testing, and improvement of tools, products, and processes that enable successful mission operations.
- Participate in planning and execution of operational rehearsals, simulations, and mission demonstrations.
- Support a culture of knowledge sharing by creating and maintaining documentation of system operations, hardware configurations, and software behaviors.
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to ethics and integrity while proposing innovative ideas and improvements to existing practices.
- Work as an effective member of a high‑performing team, being self‑motivated and able to execute under general direction while independently developing approaches to assigned tasks.
Basic Qualifications for Level 3:
- Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 5 years of related experience; OR a Master's degree in STEM with 3 years of related experience; OR, a PhD with 1 year of related experience
- Experience with space/ground system integration, test, or operations.
- Candidate must have an active SCI at time of application OR
- Candidate must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance (or equivalent) at time of application and prior to start date as well as the ability and willingness to obtain and maintain an active SCI prior to start date. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to the candidate’s maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.
Basic Qualifications for Level 4:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 8 years of engineering experience; OR Master's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 6 years of engineering experience; OR PhD in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 4 years of engineering experience
- Experience with space/ground system integration, test, or operations.
- Candidate must have an active SCI at time of application OR
- Candidate must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance (or equivalent) at time of application and prior to start date as well as the ability and willingness to obtain and maintain an active SCI prior to start date. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to the candidate’s maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with space vehicle operations or the development of operational concepts, procedures, and tools.
- Exposure to rapid‑development satellite programs.
- Ability to script operational products and automate routine tasks (e.g., using Python, shell scripting, or similar tools).
- Experience developing simple tools, dashboards, or utilities to support mission planning, execution, or data analysis.
- Demonstrated ability to clearly document procedures and system behaviors for use by operators and cross‑functional teams.
- Strong communication skills and comfort collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.
- Willingness to support on-console activation and associated shift work, including nights, weekends, or non-standard hours as mission needs dictate.
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below: https://www.northropgrumman.com/space.
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life.
For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site: Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for:
- Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
- 401k
- Educational Assistance
- Life Insurance
- Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
- Paid Time Off
- Health & Wellness Resources
- Employee Discounts
- Flexible Schedules: for example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work.
#LosAngelesSpace
#LI-DB1
#SpaceEngJobs
#SpaceSysEngJobs
Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00The 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 STEM with 5 years of related experience, or master's degree with 3 years, or PhD with 1 year for Level 3
- Bachelor's degree in STEM with 8 years of engineering experience, or master's degree with 6 years, or PhD with 4 years for Level 4
- Experience with space or ground system integration, testing, or operations
- Active SCI clearance at application, or active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance with ability and willingness to obtain and maintain SCI before starting
- Experience with space vehicle operations or developing operational concepts, procedures, and tools
- Exposure to rapid-development satellite programs
- Ability to script operational products and automate routine tasks using Python, shell scripting, or similar tools
- Experience developing tools, dashboards, or utilities for mission planning, execution, or data analysis
- Ability to document procedures and system behaviors clearly
- Strong communication and multidisciplinary collaboration skills
- Willingness to support on-console activation and shift work, including nights, weekends, or non-standard hours
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.
