Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As a Space Vehicle Engineer – Level 3 or Level 4 located in Colorado Springs, CO, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
Provide mission operations support to Satellite programs including on orbit vehicle/sustaining engineering.
Support activities such as system problem/anomaly resolution support, data trending, operational product updates, and performance analyses
Lead/Coordinate other systems engineers to conduct anomaly review board investigations as necessary.
Investigation and diagnosis of unexpected system signatures
Investigation and diagnosis of subsystems, such as GNC, FSW, EPS, etc
Support operations readiness activities including configuration control board and other customer meetings
Support operations, including shift work which will include 12 hour and night shifts
Make modifications to existing operations procedures to incorporate lessons learned from in-flight performance. Develop new procedures as required.
Supporting the coordination and execution of system maintenance tasks and coordinating across multiple contractor organizations including customer and external system partners to diligently accomplish all tasks
Perform demonstrations and conduct briefings explaining how to utilize mission systems to accomplish task-based objectives
Performing quantitative risk analysis
Providing 24x7on-call support to lead the resolution of system issues and anomalies.
Provide status reporting through both the functional and program reporting branches.
Maintain standards associated with the established Integrated/Developmental Operations functional group processes.
Support internal and external customer meetings through proficient verbal and documented (MS PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel) communications.
May require travel ~ 10% of the time for support of customer or backup mission operations center.
*This position will require shift work including swing or night shift, and/or 12-hr shifts
This position can be filled as a level 3 or level 4 depending on experience and qualifications.
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree (Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree)
Minimum of 5 years (level 3) or 8 years (level 4) of relevant experience
Active or current Top Secret Clearance with the ability to obtain SCI at time of application required
Space Vehicle Subsystem experience, such as GNC, FSW, EPS, TT&C, Thermal, Mechanical
Ability to work within a group of diversified individuals with varying backgrounds to achieve mission success.
Knowledge and experience in satellite operations engineering disciplines to include attitude control, power management, thermal control, propulsion, command and data handling, flight and ground software, and anomaly determination and resolution
Previous experience with troubleshooting, anomaly resolution and performing analysis on operational systems
Experience writing technical documents for external customers
Outstanding verbal and written communications skills, including ability to make persuasive presentations to external customers at milestone reviews
Be able to make decisions under high pressure environments and maintain composure in stressful situations
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related STEM field
Leadership experience within a diverse team of engineers/operators
Ability to task and manage a group of diversified individuals with varying backgrounds to achieve mission success.
Experience working on government systems and/or government process environment
Experience with at least one S/C Subsystem (ADCS, CDH, COMM, EPDS, Thermal, FSW).
Support mission simulation, scripting, and verification activities.
Proficiency with one or more of the following programming languages/tools: MATLAB, Python, SIMULINK, Fortran, Java, C/ C++
Experience with rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) or formation flight
Background/fundamental understand of performing statistical analysis
Experience operating Tactical Space Systems bus product lines is strongly desired.
Experience using Tactical Space Systems ground software products is strongly desired.
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
Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00The 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 (or equivalent experience)
- Minimum of 5 years (level 3) or 8 years (level 4) relevant experience
- Active or current Top Secret clearance with ability to obtain SCI
- U.S. Citizenship required
- Space vehicle subsystem experience (GNC, FSW, EPS, TT&C, Thermal, Mechanical)
- Knowledge and experience in satellite operations (attitude control, power management, thermal, propulsion, command and data handling, flight and ground software, anomaly resolution)
- Previous experience with troubleshooting, anomaly resolution and performing analysis on operational systems
- Experience writing technical documents for external customers
- Outstanding verbal and written communication and presentation skills
- Ability to make decisions under high pressure and maintain composure
- Ability to work within a diverse team to achieve mission success
- Willingness to perform shift work including 12-hour and night shifts and provide 24x7 on-call support
- Position is 100% onsite in Colorado Springs (cannot telecommute)
- Leadership experience within diverse teams (preferred in posting)
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related STEM (preferred)
- Experience working on government systems and government process environment (preferred)
- Experience with at least one spacecraft subsystem (ADCS, CDH, COMM, EPDS, Thermal, FSW) (preferred)
- Support mission simulation, scripting, and verification activities (preferred)
- Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, SIMULINK, Fortran, Java, C/C++ (preferred)
- Experience with rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) or formation flight (preferred)
- Background in statistical analysis (preferred)
- Experience operating Tactical Space Systems bus product lines and using Tactical Space Systems ground software (preferred)
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.






