Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking to hire a Systems Test Engineer / Principal Systems Test Engineer. This position will be located in Huntsville, AL supporting the Sentinel Program.
What You'll Get To Do:
- Support the development of test requirements and detailed integration test plans, test procedures, test readiness reviews (TRRs), test data and test reports.
- Execution of qualification and acceptance testing per requirements, plans and procedures.
- Participate in internal and customer test planning working groups.
- Support program reviews and customer delivery (CDRL) development
- Design, develop, and implement testing methods and equipment.
- Compile data and define changes required in test equipment, test procedures, or new test requirements.
- Collaborate with systems engineers, testing houses, development engineers and other stakeholders involved in the testing process.
- Review test plans, procedures, and reports; witness testing as the Cognizant Engineer
- Participate in technical exchange meetings, interfacing with customers (internal/external) and contributing to a broad range of program deliverables.
Basic Qualifications:
- Systems Test Engineer (T-02): 2 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s Degree; 0 years of relevant experience with a Masters
- Principal Systems Test Engineer (T-03): 5 years of relevant experience with Bachelor’s Degree; 3 years of relevant experience with Masters; 1 year of relevant experience with PhD
- Must be a US Citizen with an active DoD Secret Clearance, at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs
- Ability to effectively communicate and present technical details to peers, and stakeholders
- Familiarity with product integration, regression, and verification testing
- Knowledge of system integration and test principles and processes
- Experience working with internal and external teams to accomplish tasking.
- Experience writing testing documentations (ie. test plans, procedures, reports).
- Familiarity with Atlassian applications JIRA and Confluence
- Demonstratable experience testing Software on Hardware.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Active Top-Secret Clearance or higher (awarded within the past 6 years) with the ability to receive a Special Access Program (SAP) certification.
- Experience with Command and Control Systems
- Experience in all phases of the Hardware development life-cycle, including development, qualification testing, software integration, and verification.
- Experience in test automation.
- Excellent leadership, communications, and interpersonal skills.
- Familiarity with testing standards like Mil-Std-810, D0-160 or Mil-Std.-461/464
- Experience with mechanical and/or electrical design
As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including:
- Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
- 401k
- Educational Assistance
- Life Insurance
- Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
- Paid Time Off
- Health & Wellness Resources
- Employee Discounts
This position’s standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.
#Sentinelintandtest
Primary Level Salary Range: $79,600.00 - $119,400.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $98,900.00 - $148,300.00The 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 with 2 years of relevant experience for Systems Test Engineer level
- Master’s degree with 0 years of relevant experience for Systems Test Engineer level
- Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of relevant experience for Principal Systems Test Engineer level
- Master’s degree with 3 years of relevant experience for Principal Systems Test Engineer level
- PhD with 1 year of relevant experience for Principal Systems Test Engineer level
- U.S. citizenship
- Active DoD Secret clearance, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program approval
- Ability to communicate and present technical details effectively
- Familiarity with product integration, regression, and verification testing
- Knowledge of system integration and test principles and processes
- Experience working with internal and external teams
- Experience writing test plans, procedures, and reports
- Familiarity with JIRA and Confluence
- Demonstrated experience testing software on hardware
- Active Top Secret clearance or higher awarded within the past 6 years
- Experience with Command and Control Systems
- Experience across hardware development lifecycle phases
- Experience in test automation
- Leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills
- Familiarity with Mil-Std-810, DO-160, or Mil-Std-461/464
- Mechanical and/or electrical design experience
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.








