Principal Engineer Systems Architect
- Salary
- $91.8K–$137.6KUSD
- Moves you to
- United States
- Support
- Relocation support
- Posted
- Sep 29, 2026
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 an Engineer Systems Architect/Principal Engineer Systems Architect to join the team of qualified individuals. Position is located in Palmdale, CA.
Lead the design, configuration, installation, and troubleshooting of complex network infrastructure spanning routers, firewalls, switches, and gateways while driving rigorous network analysis and technical documentation. Bring your expertise in IP routing, Linux, and scripting to optimize performance and solve challenging issues across diverse environments. Collaborate across hardware, software, and firmware teams to architect resilient systems that support critical mission objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
- Plans, designs, configures, and installs network hardware in support of contract requirements
- Maintains technical expertise in all areas of networks and computer hardware / software interconnection, as well as interfaces, including routers, firewalls, switches, gateways, etc.
- Creates appropriate network documentation exists, including operational instructions
- Participate in network documentation and configurations peer reviews
- Provides regular monitoring and network analysis for short and long-range planning
- Coordinate third-party maintenance for network equipment
- Designs networks, or portions of networks, including hardware and software packages
- Perform troubleshooting analysis of network infrastructure and associated systems
- Install and configure various vendor routers, switches and firewalls
- Periodically provide after-hours and weekend support
- Implement and troubleshoot Internet Protocol (IP) routing protocols
- 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 25% may be required.
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.
*Position may be filled at either level based on the qualifications below*
Basic Qualifications for Engineer Systems Architect:
Must have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) discipline and 2 years of related professional/military experience; OR a master’s degree in a STEM
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 2 years of related professional/military experience to include a background in engineering, OR a Master's degree AND 0 years of related professional/military experience to include a background in X,.
Basic Qualifications for Principal Engineer Systems Architect:
Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience to include a background in engineering, OR a Master's degree AND 3 years of related professional/military experience to include a background in engineering, OR a Ph.D. AND 1 year of related professional/military experience to include a background in engineering.
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.
- Ability to obtain and maintain subsequent SAP PARs following commencement of employment to be able to completely support statement of work.
- Must possess a current DoD 8570 Level 2 Certification (i.e. Security+ CE or equivalent)
- Ability to work multiple shifts and/or weekends as business needs arise
- Experience working collaboratively on projects involving hardware, software, and firmware
- Demonstrated experience working in Linux environments and with scripting or programming languages (e.g. Python, C/C++, or similar)
- Demonstrated experience with designing and maintaining LAN/WAN based networks
Preferred Qualifications:
- Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
- Ability to author and maintain technical installation, configuration, and update documentation
- Experience with deploying, configuring, routing & switching concepts and protocols
Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00The 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.
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About Us
We are a pioneering company.
With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space – our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.