Sr Staff Engineer Systems

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Dulles
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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 Sector is seeking a Senior Staff Systems Engineer to serve as an Engineering lead for a space mission payload critical to our nation to join our team in Dulles, VA. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work. This role includes Engineering and project management through all phases of the program, from concept development and industry trade study preliminary and detailed design, payload integration & test, space vehicle integration and test and potentially on-orbit demonstration. This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off. Your mission, should you choose to accept: Functioning as the primary payload interface for customers, program management, product line engineering leadership, mission assurance and subsystem engineering teams Providing Technical Support / Oversight including Conducting technical trades in coordination with the Mission and Space Vehicle SE teams Ownership of payload specs and requirements traceability Developing and managing Interface-Control Documents (ICD) between the prime and sub-contractor Playing a key role in major program milestone and readiness reviews Planning, design, and execution of testing strategies to ensure payload qualification, exercise payload functionality and measure performance Supporting the development of operational mission scenarios and payload concepts of operations Payload sub-contractor oversight, including cost and schedule performance including Review / Tech Eval of subcontractor proposals Cost account manager (CAM) for Payload WBSs using EVMS Recognizing and mitigating payload related issues and risks If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team! This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company. Basic Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree with 14 years of professional experience – OR – Master’s degree with 12 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 10 years of professional experience Requires an active Top-Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance at time of application Experience working medium size or larger Government programs Experience in managing sub-contractors Knowledge of aerospace environmental testing standards Experience with spacecraft design, development integration and test Experience with payload integration inclusive of ICD development Preferred Qualifications: 15 yrs of direct experience with Space systems Established network of contacts in other NG divisions/sectors/programs Proposal experience CAM experience Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below: https://www.northropgrumman.com/space NOVASPACE Primary Level Salary Range: $192,800.00 - $289,200.00 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.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Lancaster , Sr Staff Engineer Systems, Engineering , Dulles, Pennsylvania