Sr Principal Electrical Engineer
Northrop Grumman
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San Diego, CA · Posted September 30, 2026
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About the job
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: 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.
Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Sr. Principal Electrical Engineer to join the team of qualified individuals. Position is located in Rancho Bernardo, CA.
Drive integrated test plans and system-level analysis while leading lab and integration testing in close collaboration with design and analysis teams in an Agile environment. Experience with DOORS and Jazz is key, and MQ-4C Triton background is preferred.
Key Responsibilities:
Develop and publish Integrated Test Plans and detailed test schedules and procedures for SYSIII testing.
Provide laboratory support for integration testing activities.
Organize and lead test planning working groups.
Collaborate with design and analysis teams to define test configurations and data requirements.
Review and evaluate test requirements to ensure the completeness of the test program.
Conduct technical analysis of complete systems and prepare comprehensive evaluations at the system level.
Support test readiness reviews and conduct pre/post-test briefings.
Conduct and contribute to pre- and post-test data analyses to support anomaly identification and resolution.
Maintain metrics on testing status and constraints.
We offer flexible work arrangements, 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.
Basic Qualifications for Sr. Principal Engineer Systems Test:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 9 years of related professional/military experience to include a background in engineering, OR a Master's degree AND 7 years of related professional/military experience to include a background in engineering, OR a Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience to include a background in engineering.
Must have an active US Government Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
Your ability to transfer and maintain the final adjudicated U.S. government Secret or clearance (must be in-scope or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation) and any program access(es) required for the position within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the Company.
Able to support on extended work hours, weekend shift rotation, and second shift
Extensive Experience in Test Program Execution
Prior Experience in Hot bench and overall lab operations support.
Experience working System Test, SW Development and/or Systems Engineering
Understanding of the software development lifecycle and agile development methodology
Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
Security+ certification
Experience with IBM Rational tool suite (DOORS and Jazz)
Experience with Atlassian tool suite (JIRA, Git, Confluence)
Experience using software test automation tools/frameworks
Software development experience
Strong Troubleshooting abilities
Experience with network diagnosis tools; Wireshark, ICMP, Netstat
Strong understanding with interfaces of software/system environments
#yellow
Primary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00
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.