Sr. Principal Systems Engineer - Technical Lead

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: NoCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: 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.

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, but they’re also making history.

Northrop Grumman Defense systems armament systems business unit in Mesa, AZ is seeking a Sr. Principal Systems engineer technical lead (Level 4). This role will report onsite daily.

About the Role:
This unique career opportunity is crafted for an individual who excels in systems leadership. In this role, you will serve as the technical lead for our product lines, owning the entire system’s lifecycle from requirements definition and system design to hardware integration, testing, and safety analysis. You will be responsible for ensuring that our medium caliber gun systems meet rigorous performance, reliability, and safety standards while interfacing with customers, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.

Systems Leadership & Technical Ownership Responsibilities:

• Defined & Decomposed Requirements – Demonstrated ability to partner with leadership, program management, and stakeholders to capture, prioritize, and break down system/stakeholder requirements into clear, actionable work packages.
• System Design Documentation – Proven experience creating and maintaining technical specifications, interface diagrams, and performance charts to guide product development.
• System Architecture & Interface Control – Proven experience defining the physical architecture (subsystems, assemblies, components) and creating/maintaining Interface Control Documents to ensure clear, traceable hand‑offs between teams.
• Configuration Management & Baseline Control – Hands‑on management of baseline configuration items, version‑control processes, and change‑control boards to guarantee that the approved design baseline is protected during development.
• Customer ‑Facing Technical Interface – Track record of translating external customer needs into complete system solutions, delivering detailed technical briefings, and acting as the single point of contact for all technical queries.
• Trade ‑Study Execution & Risk Evaluation – Performed quantitative cost‑benefit, risk, and multi‑criteria trade‑study analyses, delivering risk matrices, mitigation plans, and reports that shaped architecture and allocation decisions.
• Full ‑Lifecycle System Development – Led end‑to‑end development from concept definition and preliminary design through integration, test, verification, and validation, ensuring schedule and quality targets were met.
• Verification & Validation Planning – Developed comprehensive verification plans, test concepts of operation, and validation strategies aligned with system requirements, laying the groundwork for formal testing.
• Requirements Traceability Management – Implemented and maintained end‑to‑end requirements traceability matrices linking stakeholder needs through design, verification, and validation artifacts.
• Hands ‑On Test & Integration – Proven record of performing system‑level testing, hardware/software integration, troubleshooting, and driving root‑cause analysis to implement corrective actions.
• Reliability & Maintainability Optimization – Worked directly with product teams to improve reliability, maintainability, and overall system performance using reliability‑centered design techniques.
• Process & Innovation Leadership – Led continuous‑improvement initiatives within the engineering organization, delivering measurable gains in cycle time, defect reduction, or cost savings.
• Technical Communication – Prepared and presented high‑impact technical reports, proposals, and data packages for internal reviews, program baselines, and client briefings, translating complex engineering data into clear business value.
• Design Review Leadership – Led and facilitated formal Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) and Critical Design Reviews (CDR), documenting decisions, capturing action items, and ensuring compliance with program schedules and standards.

Sr. Principal Systems Engineer Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Systems, Mechanical, Aerospace, or Computer Engineering with 8 or more years of relevant engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in any of the above engineering disciplines with 6 or more years of relevant engineering experience.
• U.S. Citizenship and eligibility to obtain a DoD Secret Clearance if necessary.
• Ability to obtain clearance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives as an Employee Possessor.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A minimum of 5+ years of system design experience.
• Ideal background would align with controls and controllers.
• Proven ability as a fast learner with a strong interest in hardware integration.
• Have a willingness to learn mindset from mentors, peers, and others.
• Experience in the sustainment of complex aerospace or defense systems.
• Proficiency with requirements database tool - DOORS.
• Works well in a small team environment.
• Ensure that teammates succeed in delivering what's most important for the team.
• Strong technical problem solving, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong resolve to drive tasks to completion autonomously.
• Ability to travel is required.

If you are driven by solving complex technical challenges and leading innovative systems solutions in a dynamic environment, we invite you to apply and join our mission-critical team.

Primary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00The 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 U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.