Sentinel - Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer - 18048

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Manhattan Beach
Posted on: April 5, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: 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. Join Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and start contributing to our team of passionate professionals providing real-life solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. We take pride in creating purposeful work and allowing our employees to grow and achieve their goals every day by Defining Possible. With our competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, we have the right opportunities to fit your life and launch your career today. Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer (level 3)/ Sr. Principal Systems Engineer (level 4) in support of the Sentinel program. This opening is in Roy, UT, Huntsville, AL or Manhattan Beach, CA and will support the Sentinel Program . Northrop Grumman supports the Air Force’s sustainment, development, production and deployment of hardware and system modifications for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Ground and Airborne Launch Control Systems, Launch Facilities, and associated infrastructure. What you will get to do: The successful candidate will join the Sentinel Systems Engineering, Integration, & Test (SEIT) team, and be a contributing member of the Software & System Integration (SSI) Weapon System Integration (WSI) team. This multi-tiered and multi-disciplined team assesses design compatibilities across the Weapon System (WS) Segment teams. The team serves as the objective integrators to ensure requirement definition influences design decisions that ultimately ensures full-lifecycle capability effectiveness. The candidate will be responsible for supporting engineering processes & analyses in specific product team designs to prove successful design integration and analyze for potential gaps at a high level. The candidate will clearly demonstrate strong leadership and foundational systems engineering skills to drive process and technical gap resolution of interface and requirement design solutions to achieve program and contract objectives. The candidate will foster engagement across diverse teams, including mentoring and coaching, ensuring appropriate coordination between SEIT and other integration teams. The candidate will participate in technical planning, verification and validation development, cost and risk considerations, and requirements analyses for program integrated systems. This position may be hired at the Principal Systems Engineer or Sr. Principal Systems Engineer levels depending upon applicant qualifications. Basic Qualifications: Principal Systems Engineer: Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 5 years of experience with Bachelor's degree, 3 years of experience with Master's degree, 0 years of experience with PhD Must be a US Citizen with an active DoD Secret Clearance with an investigation date within the last 6 years Must have the ability to obtain a U.S. Government DoD Top Secret security clearance. Must be able to be successfully screened for Enhanced Security Clearances, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs 2 years’ experience in Systems Engineering. 2 years’ experience on large scale / complex aerospace/defense system development across multiple lifecycle phases: preliminary design, detailed design, integration and test, verification and sell off, transition to production. 2 years’ development experience with interface products (Interface Requirements Specification (IRS), Interface Design Description (IDD), Interface Control Document (ICD)) and requirement specifications. 1 years’ experience in creating, updating, and maintaining requirements specifications in Dynamic Object-Oriented Requirements System (DOORS). 1 years’ experience in developing and executing Systems Engineering process governance documentation in a DoD Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase &/or Risk Management. Sr. Principal Systems Engineer: Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 8 years of experience with Bachelor's degree, 6 years of experience with Master's degree, 4 years of experience with PhD Must be a US Citizen with an active DoD Secret Clearance with an investigation date within the last 6 years Must have the ability to obtain a U.S. Government DoD Top Secret security clearance. Must be able to be successfully screened for Enhanced Security Clearances, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs 5 years’ experience on large scale / complex aerospace/defense system development across multiple lifecycle phases: preliminary design, detailed design, integration and test, verification and sell off, transition to production 3 years’ experience in Systems Engineering. 3 years direct development experience of interface products (Interface Requirements Specification (IRS), Interface Design Description (IDD), Interface Control Document (ICD)). 2 years’ experience in developing and executing Systems Engineering process governance documentation in a DoD Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase and/or Risk Management. 1 years’ experience in creating, updating, and maintaining requirements specifications in DOORS. 1 years’ experience in team environments with technical leadership responsibilities including but not limited to leading a large group of engineers, briefing program leadership, and driving program execution. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with team leadership/management. Earned Value Management (EVM) experience. Experience with developing architectural diagrams. 5 years’ experience in ICBMs (MMIII or Sentinel). Strong work ethic and the ability to work self-sufficiently. Past/Active employment with MMIII or Sentinel Weapon Systems. Experience working across program organizations to find solutions. Experience contributing towards various phases of a program lifecycle. Excellent decision making and communication (written and oral) skills. Experience with creating and executing schedule & technical recovery plans. Demonstrated leadership principles – integrity, respect, organizational communication. Experience contributing towards various phases of the Systems Engineering “V” lifecycle. Demonstrated proficiency in analytical thinking and problem-solving skills and systems thinking mindset. Experience or working knowledge in a specialty field (Cyber, Nuclear Surety, Thermal, Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (EEE), Nuclear Hardness & Survivability (NH&S)). As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman Space Systems, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including: Medical, Dental & Vision coverage 401k Educational Assistance Life Insurance Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions Paid Time Off Health & Wellness Resources Employee Discounts This position's standard work schedule is 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off. SentinelSystems Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $171,000.00 Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $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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