Principal Systems Engineer - Fault Mgmt & Autonomy

Salary: $114,000 - 171,000 per year Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science in a technical discipline plus 5 years of experience, or Master of Science in a technical discipline plus 3 years of experience, or a PhD
• Background in systems engineering for mission-critical applications
• Experience with mission or vehicle systems engineering
• Software coding or scripting experience
• An active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance at the time of application
• Failure analysis or fault management expertise
• Experience defining requirements and interfaces
• Understanding of spacecraft integration and test, launch, and mission operations
• Experience creating verification documentation
• Experience with architecture development
• Experience with spacecraft mission operations
• Familiarity with electrical and computer systems
• Familiarity with command and telemetry databases

• Carry out core systems engineering activities, including requirements synthesis and flow-down, verification and validation planning, trade study support, systems analysis, coordination of design work, and management of technical budgets and interface definitions
• Apply systems engineering methods in the context of fault management and system autonomy
• Help shape system design, define the concept of operations, and perform failure mode and effects analyses, including mitigation through autonomous or operational controls
• Design, implement, and validate Fault Management and System Autonomy flight software using flight-like simulations and flight hardware
• Support spacecraft subsystem design, spacecraft testing, flight software best practices, and mission operations
• Contribute to new business efforts, including conceptual design and analysis for proposals and funded studies, and help draft proposal sections when needed
• Present complex technical ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Flow
• Hardware
• Support

More:

We are Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Eastern Region Engineering, and we are hiring a Principal Systems Engineer to support missions within our Space Superiority Division in Dulles, VA. This role is an individual-contributor and deliverable/product lead position on a multi-disciplinary engineering team focused on Fault Management and System Autonomy for space systems. Relocation assistance may be available, travel is expected 10% of the time, and the position offers a salary range of $114,000 to $171,000. We provide a variety of benefits, including health, life and disability insurance, a savings plan, company-paid holidays, and paid time off. The application period is estimated at 20 days, subject to business needs and candidate availability.

last updated 36 week of 2026