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Sr Principal Engineer Systems

Posted 5 days agoAerospace Engineering

Compensation

$142,200–$213,400/year

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Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

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.

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 Sr. Principal Systems Engineer located in Dulles, VA, 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.


Successful candidates for this position will work in a technical lead role for the Space Security business area. This position offers the opportunity to work on exciting, cutting-edge programs and new mission areas.

In this job, you will:

  • Candidates should be experienced in requirements decomposition, flow down and management, validation and verification planning, interface definition, and expertise with application of various engineering tools such as DOORS and Cameo. 
  • This role may include working with many stakeholders and driving the discussion with the customer and engineering leadership team to develop new system requirements
  • The role may include working across several separate products within a product line to efficiently verify system requirements
  • The role will include support for major program reviews such as SRR, PDR, and CDR.
  • The role will include interface with clients, as well as regular interactions with internal engineering associates and program management, and support for working groups with 3rd parties.

If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!

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.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Requires an active U.S. Government DoD Top-Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with the ability to obtain and maintain SCI approval/access
  • B.S. in STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math or related area and 8 years of experience; M.S. in STEM or related area and 6 years of experience
  • Experience with Model Based Systems Engineering for requirements and architecture management (DOORS and Cameo Systems Modeler preferred)
  • Experience in requirements management, system architecture development, and CONOPs.
  • Excellent written and oral communications skills and technical presentation experience

 Preferred Qualifications:  

  • Active or current TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance
  • Space industry experience – Space Segment and Ground Segment R&V on DoD / IC systems
  • Experience coordinating the efforts of diverse stakeholders.

Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:

https://www.northropgrumman.com/space

#NOVASPACE

Primary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00

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
Aerospace Engineering
Employment Type
Full time
Location
Dulles, VA 20171, United States
Posted
Jan 11, 2026, 07:00 PM
Listed
Jan 15, 2026, 01:33 AM
Last updated
Jan 17, 2026, 04:25 AM
Compensation
$142,200 - $213,400 per year

About Northrop Grumman

Part of the growing space industry ecosystem pushing humanity toward interplanetary exploration.

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