System Test Engineer /Principal System Test Engineer
Northrop Grumman
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Palmdale, CA · Posted October 21, 2026
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November 2026
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
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About the job
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 Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a System Test Engineer /Principal System Test Engineer to join the team of qualified individuals. Position is located in Palmdale , CA.
The qualified candidate will become part of Northrop Grumman’s Test & Evaluation organization. The selected candidate will synthesize customer contractual needs and requirements into system test solutions which acknowledge technical, schedule and cost constraints. They will perform a variety of duties in the electronic, mechanical, electromechanical, or software areas. The ideal candidate is detail oriented, organized, and able to learn challenging concepts quickly in a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Assist in development, execution, peer review, and release of test procedures
Participate in both Formal and Non-Formal Test execution events
Participate in test planning, discrepancy report, validation testing, and post test data analysis
Provide support of required laboratory test artifacts
Effectively communicate test results and project updates
Willing to support multiple shifts and odd hours to accommodate testing efforts and lab schedules
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 10% may be required.
We offer flexible work arrangements, 4/10 work schedule with every 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.
Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.
This position may be filled at either level based on the qualifications below:
Basic Qualifications for a Level 2:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 2 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master's degree AND 0 years of related professional/military experience.
Basic Qualifications for a Level 3:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Master's degree AND 3 years of related professional/military experience, OR a Ph.D. AND 1 year of related professional/military experience.
Basic Qualifications for Both Levels:
Must have an active US Government Top 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 Top Secret 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.
Capability to work with supervision and develop effective approaches to problem-solving.
Self-motivated with a strong attention to detail and thoroughness.
Experience writing Python scripts
Experience working System Test, SW Development and/or Systems Engineering
Experience with Windows/Linux operating systems & Virtual Machines (VMs)
Understanding of the software development lifecycle and agile development methodology
Preferred Qualifications:
Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
Knowledge of system test and integration.
Experience calibrating and inspecting special test equipment
Experience creating, updating and executing test procedures
Security+ certification
Experience with IBM Rational tool suite (DOORS and ClearQuest)
Experience with Atlassian tool suite (JIRA, Git, Confluence)
Experience using software test automation tools/frameworks
Experience with Java, C++, or Python
#Yellow
Primary Level Salary Range: $83,400.00 - $125,200.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00
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.