Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has opportunities for a Systems Engineer (Principal or Senior Principal Engineer Level) to join our team in El Segundo, CA.
- Performs technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analyses for total systems.
- Analyses are performed at all levels of total system product to include: concept, design, fabrication, test, installation, operation, maintenance and disposal.
- Ensures the logical and systematic conversion of customer or product requirements into total systems solutions that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
- Performs functional analysis, timeline analysis, detailed trade studies, requirements allocation and interface definition studies to translate customer requirements into hardware and software specifications.
This role may be filled at either an Engineer (Level 3) or Principal Engineer (Level 4) level.
Basic Qualifications:
Applicable at a Principal Engineer Level (level 3):
- Must have a Bachelors degree in a STEM field and at least 5 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least 3 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least 1 year of relevant military / professional / academic experience.
Applicable at a Senior Principal Engineer Level (level 4):
- Must have a Bachelors degree in a STEM field and at least 8 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least 6 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least 4 years of relevant military / professional experience.
Applicable at Both Levels:
- Must have the ability to obtain or maintain a U.S. Government 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:
- An active U.S. government Secret clearance or higher (with background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
- Knowledge of DOORS for requirement management.
- Demonstrated communication and technical writing skills.
- Proven ability to brief technical presentations to stakeholders.
- Experience with requirement verification.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and at least 5 years of relevant military or professional experience for Level 3
- Master’s degree in a STEM field and at least 3 years of relevant military or professional experience for Level 3
- PhD in a STEM field and at least 1 year of relevant military, professional, or academic experience for Level 3
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and at least 8 years of relevant military or professional experience for Level 4
- Master’s degree in a STEM field and at least 6 years of relevant military or professional experience for Level 4
- PhD in a STEM field and at least 4 years of relevant military or professional experience for Level 4
- Ability to obtain or maintain a U.S. Government Secret or higher clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program clearance within a reasonable time
- Active U.S. government Secret clearance or higher
- Knowledge of DOORS for requirements management
- Demonstrated communication and technical writing skills
- Ability to brief technical presentations to stakeholders
- Experience with requirements verification
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.
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.





