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Staff Engineer Systems - Deputy Core Systems Engineering Lead

Northrop Grumman

Posted today

Job Requirements

San Diego, CA
Secret Polygraph Unspecified
Career Level not specified
$177,000 - $265,600

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription

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 a Staff Engineer Systems - Deputy Core Systems Engineering Lead to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Systems Engineering organization. This role is located in Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, CA.

In this role, you will lead technical execution of systems engineering scope on the development program ensuring product quality with a consistent definition across capabilities. You'll provide cross-capability technical leadership to Responsible Systems Engineers (RSEs) through system design, integration and test. You'll also prepare / review materials for engineering review events (SRR, PDR, CDR, Design TIMs) and work with independent review teams (IRTs) to evaluate design maturity.

Additionally, you will also identify, assess, and manage technical risks and opportunities and work with RSEs / other IPTs to define appropriate mitigation plans. You will support sprint / Program Increment (PI) planning by reviewing systems engineering product backlogs and identifying appropriate prioritization for tasks to ensure alignment against overall program PI objectives.

This role is offered as a hybrid position on the Rancho Bernardo, CA campus with onsite work of two days per week on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Drive and oversee technical execution of Core Systems Engineering team in execution of Increment 2 Development capabilities
  • Support Core Systems Engineering lead in planning
  • Lead development of system design requirements and collaborate with Requirements Lead and constituent IPTs to implement design requirements in DOORS
  • Identify and lead mitigation efforts to technical risks identified throughout design and integration processes
  • Act as technical oversight and reviewer for Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SETR) including capability SRR, PDR and CDR
  • Support discipline leads in task execution and provide technical guidance to individual contributors within SE disciplines
  • Act as technical conduit to constituent IPTs for design implementation
  • Lead execution of Systems Engineering Thread Leads, ensuring consistency across design for all Development capabilities
  • Serve as technical mentor to individual contributors in growth as professional systems engineers
  • Act as technical coordinator with post-Development programs (Production, Retrofit, Sustainment) to ensure new capabilities are implementable and executable in Production and Fleet environments


Basic Qualifications:
  • Must have a Bachelors degree in a STEM field and at least 12 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a Master's Degree in a STEM field and at least 10 years of relevant military / professional experience, OR a PhD and at least 8 years of relevant military / professional experience
  • Must have at least 5 years of experience in technical execution including at least 2 years of experience leading a technical team
  • Must have experience in requirements development and lab integration
  • Must have an active DoD 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:
  • Active DoD Top Secret clearance with current SCI and/or SAP
  • Experience in technical leadership as IPT/sub-IPT lead or technical/thread lead in systems engineering, vehicle engineering, avionics, software, electronics, or mission payloads
  • Demonstrated experience in Systems Engineering specialty disciplines (cybersecurity, safety, EMI or Human Factors)
  • Demonstrated championing of technical change which resulted in performance improvements and/or team efficiencies
  • Familiarity with HALE ISR UAV programs (Triton, RQ-4)
  • Familiarity with Systems Engineering tools such TeamCenter PLC, JIRA/Confluence and DOORS
  • Demonstrated experience with IFC Development and Management


Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00

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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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.
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Job Category
IT - Software
Clearance Level
Secret