Staff Systems Engineer - Execution Lead

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company known for its pioneering advancements that have significantly impacted aviation, defense, and space exploration. With a rich history of innovation dating back to the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean and including development of stealth bombers and lunar landers, Northrop Grumman continues to shape the future with cutting-edge systems and missions that protect and enhance the lives of people worldwide. The company values intellectual curiosity, diversity of thought, and a culture that embraces bringing one’s whole self to work while driving toward achieving what others deem impossible. Employees at Northrop Grumman are not only part of history – they are actively making it through transformative contributions to national security and technology.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems invites applications for the role of Staff Systems Engineer / Execution Lead to join its Systems Engineering organization. This role is based onsite in either San Diego, CA or Palmdale, CA and requires full-time, on-site presence with no remote or hybrid work options available. The position offers a significant opportunity to work within an Integrated Product Team structure on advanced aerospace projects that demand precision, technical accountability, and leadership.

As a Staff Systems Engineer / Execution Lead, the successful candidate will be responsible for developing comprehensive Requirement Verification Plans (RVPs) based on approved requirements and design reviews that support new and modified features in aerospace systems. Coordination across teams is key, including guiding reviews and approvals of these verification plans, ensuring verification data aligns with scope and intent, and managing the compilation and approval of verification records. The role necessitates working closely with Subject Matter Experts and Responsible Engineers to gather analysis and evidence for verification through various methods such as analysis or inspection.

The position also involves creating and releasing detailed System Test and Verification Plans and Reports for Integrated Functional Capabilities (IFCs), supporting peer reviews, and aiding test engineers with procedure development to ensure accurate interpretation of requirements. The engineer will participate in test procedure peer reviews and assist with adjudicating test findings based on a deep understanding of system behaviors.

This role additionally encompasses system definition activities including specifying use cases, requirement sets, and feature acceptance criteria, investigating early system issues to evaluate requirement impacts, and collaborating with test teams to prepare functions for formal verification. The Staff Systems Engineer / Execution Lead plays a crucial role in the full lifecycle of systems engineering, including requirements decomposition, verification, management, and ensuring traceability from system to unit or supplier specifications.

The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with at least 12 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 10 years, or a PhD with 8 years. A Top Secret security clearance with a recent background investigation is mandatory, along with the capability to obtain Special Access Program clearance if needed. The candidate must bring experience supporting key systems engineering milestones such as SRR, PDR, and CDR, including tools like DOORS for requirements and verification management. Leadership skills and experience managing suppliers and leading technical teams are essential.

Preferred qualifications include an active Top Secret SCI clearance, experience across multiple systems engineering disciplines including integration and configuration management, Agile methodology familiarity, and expertise in software and hardware integration testing. The salary range for this role is $177,000 to $265,600 annually, with potential eligibility for bonuses and other incentives. Northrop Grumman also offers a comprehensive benefits package aimed at supporting the well-being and development of its employees. This opportunity represents a challenging and rewarding career path for an experienced systems engineer seeking to make a significant impact in aerospace technology and defense.