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Sr. Principal Electronics Communications Engineer

Northrop Grumman

Posted today

Job Requirements

Palmdale, CA
Top Secret Polygraph Unspecified
Career Level not specified
$142,200 - $213,400

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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 is looking to add a Sr. Principal Electronics Communications Engineer to join our team in Palmdale, CA. This position will be in our Avionics Integration Organization and will support the development of new capabilities within the Air Dominance organization.

This candidate will work primarily as a part of our integrated development group, helping to ensure success of program execution, architecture development, requirements development, and supplier deliveries while continuing to drive efficiencies into our existing processes. The candidate will be responsible for:

Roles and Responsibilities will include:
  • Executing the technical baseline of the program including managing the appropriate suppliers to ensure requirements are met on time
  • Supporting the development program manager to manage the technical, cost, and schedule baselines for contractual development activities
  • Leading a team of cross-discipline engineers to accomplish technical objectives for the program
  • Working independently to proactively identify and address risks and issues; and bringing those items to appropriate engineering teams and program leadership
  • Providing oversight of program laboratories and aligning new capabilities into an enterprise system certification plan
  • Addressing and correcting deliverable subsystem performance concerns via program identified tools/systems on behalf of the program leadership team.
  • Identifying opportunities for cost and schedule improvement and working with engineering teams to implement in accordance with approved program process.
  • Providing hands-on support for risk reduction activities in our laboratory and production facilities


The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is NO remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required.

Basic Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related engineering experience.
  • Experience working with Communications, Payloads, and Network subsystems
  • Experience integrating complex subsystems together, leveraging System Engineering best practices
  • Experience in working with operations community to gather feedback and requirements to ensure delivered systems are being effectively employed to meet customer needs
  • Experience briefing technical material in large group settings including design reviews, program management reviews, and internal executive briefings
  • A U.S. Citizen with Active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance OR active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (with a background investigation within the past 5 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


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
  • Network training/certifications (Network+, Security+, CCNA, etc.)
  • Experienced with antenna theory, modulation/encoding schemes, satellite communications, and tactical data links
  • Familiarity with common industry standards related to communications and network-based systems, such as MIL-STD-1553, RS-232/422, Ethernet (IPv4/IPv6)


Primary 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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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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Clearance Level
Top Secret