Principal Engineer Systems/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer

United States-Colorado-Colorado SpringsPosted Jul 27, 2026

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: 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.

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is known for pushing the boundaries of innovation, redefining engineering capabilities, and driving advances in various sciences through cutting-edge technology. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, and innovative technologies to develop, design, produce, and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Senior or Sr. Principal Systems Engineer to join a ground-based radar program. This position is based in Colorado Springs, CO near Colorado Springs airport. This role is an in-person role and will require some shift support during events.

The selected engineer will perform as a member of an interdisciplinary team on key efforts to develop novel and innovative solutions to advanced technical problems. The successful engineer will contribute to the overall development of Radar Performance Algorithms, including System Concept of Operations (CONOPs) Development, System Mission and Mode Development, Kinematic Trajectory Threat Analysis, Modeling and Simulation of Mission Scenarios, Technology Trade Studies, Requirements Development and Derivation for Radar System Operational Performance, Performance Analysis, Data Analysis, and work with cross-disciplinary Integrated Product Teams (IPTs).

Job responsibilities:

  • Support development and integration of radar algorithms to meet system mission and mode performance objectives
  • Requirements development, analysis, implementation planning for translating system requirements into algorithm design
  • Performing functional and performance analyses
  • Development of mathematical algorithms for mode/sensor implementation
  • Develop software integration planning for system algorithms to model behavior of systems in real-time for radar platforms
  • Solicit input from various stakeholders, synthesize data, and communicate results to various levels of leadership within the organization.
  • Perform mission engineering activities to ensure continuity between desired operational capabilities and delivered system performance, through the Systems Engineering “V”. Ensure performance capabilities of new systems and architectures are traded against cost and mission requirements and assess operational effectiveness of existing and emerging systems and capabilities in representative operational environments.
  • Guiding the team through development/implementation activities

This position can either be filled as Senior or Sr. Principal Systems Engineer based on the basic qualifications below.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Principal Systems Engineer: 5 Years with Bachelors STEM in Science; 3 Years with Masters; 1 Year with PhD
  • Sr. Principal Systems Engineer: 8 Years with Bachelors STEM in Science; 6 Years with Masters; 4 Years with PhD
  • Must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with the ability to obtain and maintain SCI approval/access.
  • Expertise with MATLAB and code prototyping
  • Experience working through the Systems Engineering lifecycle process for system development
  • Experience with Signals processing
  • Experience with Radar Systems
  • Experience with radar Blake Charts for operational performance analysis
  • Experience with Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Confluence)
  • Experience with SharePoint
  • Experience with MS Office tool suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project)
  • Strong problem-solving skills and a demonstrated ability to project plan and execute
  • Demonstrated independent planning, organization, and working in cross-functional teams with a customer focus

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with Python, C/C++, Java or related programming languages
  • Experience in Agile methodology (Kanban, Scrum, etc.)
  • Experience with requirement derivation and decomposition for system design implementation and planning

Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00

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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