Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer
Northrop GrummanRole Overview
Northrop Grumman is hiring a Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer. This is a full-time role in United States-California-Redondo Beach. posted today. applications are still in the early window, before most candidates have applied. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.
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Job description
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 Aeronautics Systems has an opening for Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer to join the team of qualified individuals on our Research and Advanced Design organization. This role is located onsite in Redondo Beach, CA.
In this role, the successful candidate will lead system-level architecture definition and systems engineering activities for advanced aeronautics programs in the R&AD organization. The role requires strong general systems engineering skills including requirements management, risk management, architecture development, and hands-on experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML. The Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer will define and evolve architectures for high-performance aircraft and/or unmanned systems, guide trade studies, and mentor multidisciplinary teams through concept, design, integration, and V&V phases.
Key Responsibilities:
- 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.
We offer flexible work arrangements, 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.
Basic Qualifications (Principal):
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 3 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 1 years of related professional/military experience
Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or 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.
Must have experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML—creating and maintaining SysML models and using MBSE to support requirements, design, and verification.
Must have experience with requirements management (tools such as DOORS, Polarion, or equivalent), including requirements decomposition and traceability.
Must have experience in risk management methods (e.g., FMEA, FTA, risk registers) and applying risk-informed design decisions.
Must have experience developing system architectures, interface control documents (ICDs), and performing system-level trade studies.
Must have familiarity with systems engineering lifecycle processes (V-model) and standards (e.g., INCOSE SE Handbook).
Must have excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills; ability to present complex technical material clearly.
Basic Qualifications (Sr. Principal):
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 8 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 6 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience
Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or 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.
Must have experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML—creating and maintaining SysML models and using MBSE to support requirements, design, and verification.
Must have experience with requirements management (tools such as DOORS, Polarion, or equivalent), including requirements decomposition and traceability.
Must have experience in risk management methods (e.g., FMEA, FTA, risk registers) and applying risk-informed design decisions.
Must have experience developing system architectures, interface control documents (ICDs), and performing system-level trade studies.
Must have familiarity with systems engineering lifecycle processes (V-model) and standards (e.g., INCOSE SE Handbook).
Must have excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills; ability to present complex technical material clearly.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree preferred in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- Experience with SysML tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler, MagicDraw, or Enterprise Architect.
- Knowledge of aerospace architecture frameworks (DoDAF/UPDM) and model interchange standards (AP233, OSLC).
- Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink, model-based verification, or digital thread/MBSE toolchains.
- Experience with avionics, guidance & navigation, flight control systems, or propulsion integration.
- Prior experience in R&AD, prototype development, rapid iteration, or technology maturation programs.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
northropgrumman.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for the Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer position at Northrop Grumman?
Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to Northrop Grumman. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.
Where is the Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer position at Northrop Grumman located?
This position is based in United States-California-Redondo Beach. Northrop Grumman has not indicated remote or hybrid options for this role, so candidates should plan for on-site work.
What does a Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman earn?
Northrop Grumman has not disclosed a salary range in this posting. Many employers share specifics later in the interview process; you can also ask during a recruiter screen if compensation transparency is important to you.
When was the Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer role at Northrop Grumman posted?
This role was posted on July 23, 2026 (today). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.
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