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Northrop Grumman

NATO Principal or Sr. Principal System Engineer

United States-California-San DiegoFull-timeSenior individual contributor$114,000.00 - $171,000.00Operations

Listed on Northrop Grumman’s official careers site. Listed as of October 18, 2026. Check that it is still open and apply there.

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Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE

Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Interim 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. Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding.

Start dates are determined after funding confirmation. Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Principal / Senior Principal Systems Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Systems Engineering organization. This role is located in Rancho Bernardo, CA . In this role, you will fill the role of System Engineer for the NATO Business Area. You will be responsible for leading a diverse engineering team to provide imaginative, technical solutions to a wide range of difficult problems.

You will be working across the entire spectrum of the Systems Engineering V-Model, and will support SE disciplines including requirements development, use case development, capability (hardware and software) development, integration planning, lab integration, test planning, formal test, and verification.

Essential Functions for Both Levels

  • Work closely with customers and end users to ensure system requirements, design, risks, and limitations are understood, communicated, and accepted
  • Execute systems engineering functions to maintain the technical baseline, and to ensure the baseline reflects a cohesive system solution
  • Support the development and validation of system level models used for concept development, design, verification, and validation Leverage your experience supporting Fielded Aircraft Systems, UAV systems, and the full lifecycle of Systems Engineering, including design reviews, requirements decomposition, test planning, and requirements verification
  • Ability to plan, execute a schedule and lead a team towards those goals Clearly define end user needs and desired capabilities
  • Provide support and deliverables for successful milestone reviews (e.g.

SRR, SFR, PDR, CDR, FCA) Presentation skills to effectively provide status to internal executive management and customers This position may be filled at either the Principal or Senior Principal level based on the qualifications below.

Basic Qualifications

At a Principal Level

  • Must have a Bachelors of Science degree in a STEM field and at least
  • 5 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least
  • 3 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least
  • 1 year of relevant military / professional / academic experience At a Senior Principal Level
  • 8 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least
  • 6 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least
  • 4 years of relevant military / professional experience And at Both Levels: Must have an active US Government Secret or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last
  • 6 years or currently 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.

Preferred Qualifications for Both Levels

Experience with RQ-4 air vehicle, ground segment, sensor payloads, COMMS and support equipment Experience with International Customers Experience managing Technical Baselines (Functional and Allocated Baselines) Experience conducting end to end system integration, verification and validation Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00 Secondary 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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