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Principal OR Sr. Principal Experimental Physicist

Posted 2 months agoBusiness & Finance

Compensation

$127,400–$191,200/year

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Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: A US Government security clearance per customer's requirements.

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered by providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission! 

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) Engineering & Sciences (E&S) is seeking candidates for the position of an Experimental Physicist to support the NGMC in Linthicum, MD or Annapolis Junction, MD

This position requires full-time on-site work at our Advanced Technology Laboratory (ATL) in Linthicum, MD location or our Annapolis Junction, MD location. 

We are seeking an experimental physicist with a robust scientific background that has an interest in data acquisition and analysis on superconducting qubits and superconducting electronics. The ideal candidate has experience with running complex experiments and writing custom software to control a variety of equipment such as RF/DC sources and arbitrary waveform generators. This position will involve both using existing test resources (hardware and software) and developing new tools to improve test throughput and reliability.

Your responsibilities:

  • Develop and implement test protocols for novel experiments on superconducting devices
  • Debug existing software tools and support implementation of new capabilities
  • Support the current and future development of test platforms within function, cost and schedule constraints
  • Document and implement test requirements and procedures
  • Review test plans for accuracy and completeness
  • Analyze data and report on test results

What you need to be successful in the role:

  • Interest/excitement in research areas involving qubits and superconducting electronics
  • Tenacity when diving into problems to follow them through and find the optimal solution
  • Presentation and communication skills
  • Ability to collaborate in a small group setting (4-7 people) as well as work independently

This position can be filled at the Principal level OR the Sr. Principal level.  Qualifications for both are listed below:

Basic Qualifications for Principal Experimental Physicist:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) with 5 years of relevant technical experience; Master's degree in STEM related field with 3 years' of relevant technical experience OR Masters’ degree in STEM related field and currently enrolled in a PhD program with a completion date prior to start with 1 year of relevant technical experience OR PhD in STEM related field with 1 year of relevant technical experience.
  • Experience working in a lab environment
  • Basic circuit analysis and troubleshooting skills
  • Proficiency writing code in MATLAB and/or Python
  • This position requires the applicant to be a U.S. Citizen. 
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance per customer’s requirements. 

Basic Qualifications for Sr. Principal Experimental Physicist:

  • PhD in experimental physics, electrical engineering, or a STEM related field with 4 years of relevant technical experience; Master's Degree in STEM related field and 6 years of relevant technical experience; Bachelor's Degree in STEM related field with 8 plus years of relevant technical experience.
  • Experience working in a lab environment
  • Basic circuit analysis and troubleshooting skills
  • Proficiency writing code in MATLAB and/or Python
  • This position requires the applicant to be a U.S. Citizen. 
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance per customer’s requirements. 

Preferred Qualifications for both Principal AND Sr. Principal Experimental Physicist:

  • PhD in experimental physics, electrical engineering, or STEM related field.
  • Experience with low temperature experimental setups
  • Experience working with qubits, quantum information, or superconducting electronics
  • Demonstrated experience of statistical analysis on experimental data
  • Experience writing in a version-controlled, OOP-based codebase in Python or MATLAB
  • Active U.S. Government security clearance.

Primary Level Salary Range: $127,400.00 - $191,200.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $158,600.00 - $238,000.00

The 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.
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Job Details

Category
Business & Finance
Employment Type
Full time
Location
Linthicum; United States-Maryland-Annapolis Junction, MD, United States
Posted
Nov 3, 2025, 07:00 PM
Listed
Jan 17, 2026, 12:13 PM
Last updated
Jan 17, 2026, 02:26 PM
Compensation
$127,400 - $191,200 per year

About Northrop Grumman

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