Principal / Sr. Principal Mission Operations Development Enginee

Northrop Grumman

Today
Top Secret/SCI
Unspecified
Unspecified
IT - Software
Chantilly, VA (On-Site/Office)

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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.

This position will require full-time on-site work. Position will support day staff mission operations script testing work approximately 80% of the time, and shift work (including nights/weekends/holidays) approximately 20% of the time.

The successful candidate will be expected to:
  • Provide mission operations support to classified Satellite programs.
  • Develop automated satellite operations scripts to perform ground and on-orbit functions to reduce user workload.
  • Identify enhancements, modifications, and automation opportunities within existing operations products, data management/storage systems, and networks related to satellite operations.
  • Conduct testing using simulators and resolve discrepancies.
  • Develop and test command procedures, telemetry pages, and other products derived from vendor provided documentation.
  • Support occasional shift work for campaign mission operations activities including mission rehearsals, mission execution, and post launch test execution.
  • The candidate will also be expected to participate in the Deficiency Resolution process and actively seek opportunities for process improvement.
  • Enact configuration management processes for scripts, offline tools, and other operations products.
  • Make modifications to existing operations procedures and scripts to incorporate lessons learned and automated efficiencies identified from in-flight performance.
  • Support internal and external customer meetings through proficient verbal and documented (MS PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel) communications.
  • Utilize Agile Processes and Tools, including Atlassian Suite (Jira, Confluence), BitBucket, MatterMost.


This can be filled as a Principal Engineer (level 3) or Sr Principal Engineer (level 4) depending on experience and qualifications.

Basic Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related STEM discipline preferred
  • 5 years (level 3) or 8 years (level 4) of related experience
  • U.S. citizen
  • Active or current Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain SCI at time of application
  • Scripting experience in FreeFlyer, Python, STOL, or other coding languages
  • Outstanding verbal and written communications skills, including ability to make persuasive presentations to external customers at milestone reviews
  • Experience in software automation development, with hands-on expertise in writing and maintaining automation scripts
  • Familiarity with mission operations, space vehicle engineering, mission planning, and/or command and control ground software


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Active Top Secret/SCI clearance
  • Support mission simulation, scripting, and verification activities
  • Proficiency with one or more of the following programming languages/tools: MATLAB, Python, SIMULINK, Fortran, Java, C/ C++
  • Experience with satellite operations
  • Ability to work within a group of diversified individuals with varying backgrounds to achieve mission success.
  • Experience working on government systems and/or government process environment
  • Familiarity with Linux, cloud-based infrastructure, Kubernetes, or Virtual Machines


Salary Range: $110,000.00 - $155,000.00Salary Range 2: $137,000.00 - $196,000.00

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.
group id: 10122071

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About Us
Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees are Defining Possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will allow you to work together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines. © 2025 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.

Northrop Grumman Jobs


Job Category
IT - Software
Clearance Level
Top Secret/SCI