Staff Systems Engineer - Lead
Northrop Grumman · El Segundo, CA
- On site
- Full-time
- $265,000 / year
- El Segundo, CA
✓ Hiring manager found for this role
Email the hiring manager to get a response.
Get their verified email + an intro that's ready to send.
Staff Systems Engineer - Lead
Northrop Grumman · El Segundo, CA
Riley Chen
Hiring Manager · h•••••@jsv3.recruitics.com
✍️ Your intro emailReady to send
Subject: Interested in the Staff Systems Engineer - Lead role at Northrop Grumman
Hi Riley — I came across the Staff Systems Engineer - Lead opening and wanted to reach out directly. I've spent the last few years doing exactly this kind of work, and Northrop Grumman stood out because…
🔒 Unlock to read & send
✎ Personalized to your résumé after sign-up.
$1 once
Just this hiring manager
Best value
$9/mo
Unlimited — any job, anywhere
- ✓ Verified email of the hiring manager
- ✓ Intro email personalized to your résumé
- ✓ $9/mo = unlimited — any job link
Secure checkout · cancel anytime
View the original posting ↗
Not recommended alone — most applicants never hear back.
Job highlights
- Lead systems engineering for advanced programs.
- Define architecture and requirements for next-gen technologies.
- Manage program milestones and customer deliverables.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to teams.
- Requires Top Secret clearance and STEM background.
About the role
Staff Systems Engineer Lead
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Systems Engineering Lead (Staff Engineer Systems) to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Systems Engineering organization. This role is located in El Segundo and Rancho Bernardo, CA. This position requires travel up to 25%. In this role, you will lead across a portfolio of programs focused on all-domain information management. This team is part of the Research and Advanced Development division working on exciting new next generation technologies. You will have the ability to shape multiple efforts to bring systems engineering rigor, traceability, and architecture and design definition. You also must have excellent communication skills, the ability to build customer relationships and the ability to represent the team at customer meetings.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the technical authority and primary decision maker for all milestones, including System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR).
- Lead requirements development, decomposition and verification, use case development and analysis, system integration, configuration management, change integration, cybersecurity, EMI/EMC and System Safety.
- Coordinating test planning, executing hardware and software verifications, managing data-collection efforts, analyzing results, and ensuring that technical deliverables meet performance, safety, and schedule objectives.
- Write and deliver documentation, artifacts and presentations in support of program reviews and customer deliverables (CDRL).
- Participate in technical exchange meetings, interfacing with customers (internal/external) and contributing to a broad range of program deliverables.
- Drive and champion continuous process improvement across various Systems Engineering disciplines.
- Provide technical guidance, leadership and mentorship to multi-disciplinary teams across Systems Engineering to ensure success of team members across all levels.
- Lead technical anomaly resolution, including adjudication of findings to current and future builds, lead internal and external technical change/ review coordination, and manage the technical baseline of the program.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required, for both up-and-out communication to executive leadership and the customer, and for down-and-in detailed technical guidance to the program team.
Basic Qualifications
- Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 12 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 10 years of related professional/military experience; OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 8 years of related professional/military experience.
- Must have an active US Government Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain SCI within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
- Must have experience executing Systems Engineering processes, including across the full Systems Engineering lifecycle: SRR, PDR, CDR, TIM/TEM, TRB, CCB.
- Must have experience briefing or leading technical discussions with outside stakeholders including other IPTs, customer representatives or supplier personnel.
- Must have experience in at least ONE of these fields: architectural studies, technical baseline definition, requirements & interface management, Interface Control Document (ICD) generation, hardware/software integration, test planning & execution and system sustainment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in a STEM field.
- Current/active SCI.
- Experience in technical leadership as IPT/sub-IPT lead or technical/thread lead in systems engineering, vehicle engineering, avionics, software, electronics, or mission payloads.
- Experience in developing, preparing and defending proposal bids for technical programs, including Task Assessments, Basis of Estimates, and Tech Volumes.
- Demonstrated training proficiency.
- Experience in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
- Experience in system-level / hardware-in-the-loop integration/test.
- Demonstrated experience in Systems Engineering specialty disciplines (cybersecurity, safety, EMI or Human Factors).
- Demonstrated championing of technical change that resulted in performance improvements and/or team efficiencies.
Key skills/competency
- Systems Engineering
- Requirements Management
- Technical Leadership
- Architecture Definition
- Program Reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR)
- System Integration
- Test Planning & Execution
- Documentation & Presentation
- Process Improvement
- Mentorship
Skills & topics
- Staff Systems Engineer
- Systems Engineering
- Lead Engineer
- Top Secret Clearance
- STEM
- Requirements Management
- Architecture Definition
- Program Management
- Northrop Grumman
- Aerospace
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your extensive STEM background and Systems Engineering lifecycle experience (SRR, PDR, CDR). Emphasize your leadership roles and experience with technical discussions with stakeholders.
- Showcase clearance expertise: Clearly state your active Top Secret clearance and any SCI/SAP access. Mention your ability to obtain and maintain further clearances as required.
- Detail leadership contributions: Provide specific examples of leading technical anomaly resolution, driving process improvements, and mentoring multidisciplinary teams. Quantify achievements where possible.
- Address preferred qualifications: If applicable, include experience with MBSE, proposal development, or specific engineering disciplines like avionics or cybersecurity to strengthen your application.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss your experience with architectural studies, technical baseline definition, and requirements management in depth.
Technical preparation
Master systems engineering lifecycle processes.,Practice defining system requirements and architecture.,Prepare to discuss technical baseline management.,Review advanced technology integration examples.
Behavioral questions
Describe leading a critical design review.,How do you resolve technical anomalies?,Share an example of process improvement.,How do you mentor junior engineers?
Prefer to apply the usual way?
Not recommended alone — most applicants never hear back. Email the hiring manager first.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the clearance requirements for the Staff Systems Engineer Lead role at Northrop Grumman?
- The Staff Systems Engineer Lead position at Northrop Grumman requires an active US Government Top Secret clearance with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation. Additionally, you must have the ability to obtain and maintain SCI and Special Access Program (SAP) clearances.
- What educational background is necessary for this Systems Engineer Lead position?
- A Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline is required, coupled with 12 years of related professional/military experience. Alternatively, a Master of Science degree with 10 years of experience or a Ph.D. in STEM with 8 years of experience is acceptable.
- Does the Staff Systems Engineer Lead role involve travel?
- Yes, this role requires travel up to 25% of the time. This is an important aspect to consider if you are applying for this position at Northrop Grumman.
- What are the key system engineering lifecycle phases this role is responsible for at Northrop Grumman?
- This Staff Systems Engineer Lead role requires experience executing Systems Engineering processes across the full lifecycle, specifically including System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), Technical Interchange Meetings (TIM/TEM), Technical Review Board (TRB), and Configuration Control Board (CCB).
- What specific technical fields are considered for this Staff Systems Engineer Lead role?
- The role requires experience in at least one of the following fields: architectural studies, technical baseline definition, requirements & interface management, Interface Control Document (ICD) generation, hardware/software integration, test planning & execution, and system sustainment.
- What are the preferred qualifications for the Systems Engineer Lead position at Northrop Grumman?
- Preferred qualifications include an advanced STEM degree, current SCI clearance, technical leadership experience (IPT/sub-IPT lead or thread lead), proposal bid development, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), system-level integration/test, and demonstrated experience in specialized Systems Engineering disciplines.
- What is the primary salary range for the Staff Systems Engineer Lead at Northrop Grumman?
Similar roles
Open positions we recommend based on this role.
Sentinel - Mechanical Engineers
Northrop Grumman · Colorado Springs, CO
Sentinel - Software Engineers
Northrop Grumman · Roy, UT
Network Engineer
Northrop Grumman · San Diego, CA
Sentinel Principal/Sr Principal Mechanical Engineer -17104*
Northrop Grumman · Colorado Springs, CO
Cyber Systems Engineer 2/3
Northrop Grumman · Boulder, Colorado, United States