Principal or Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman

Confirmed live yesterday Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: San Antonio, TX
Salary: $113,900–$170,900 / yr
Posted: 52 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 97 roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $190k

This role $142k

$99k most similar roles pay here $249k

This role pays less than 89% of similar roles. Most pay $169,550–$210,817 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $142k versus about $190k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company providing systems in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics. Industry: Aerospace & Defense

Northrop Grumman currently has 367 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $114,900–$176,300 across 353 roles with salary data.

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View all roles at Northrop Grumman

At a glance

TL;DR · Principal or Senior Principal Systems Engineer

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Principal or Sr. Principal Systems Engineer The Mission Defense Cyber Team seeks a Cybersecurity Systems Engineer to support the Sentinel program by ensuring cyber survivability in weapon system designs. This role involves decomposing and refining cybersecurity requirements, evaluating security risks and attack surfaces, and guiding the selection of security tools and architectures. The engineer will manage verification efforts, define security governance, and provide technical guidance for flight test events within an Agile, DevSecOps environment. Key responsibilities include ensuring compliance with standards like CNSSI 1253 and DoD 8570 while performing cyber-attack surface analysis. Required skills include proficiency in NIST 800-160, RMF assessment authorization artifacts, and systems engineering principles. The role focuses on the technical challenge of protecting launch and missile defense systems from cyber threats through robust architecture design and integrated security protections across complex digital communication networks.

What does a Systems Engineer earn?

Median $158250 from 186 postings across 30 companies.

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Skills

Cybersecurity RMF NIST 800-160 NIST SP 800-37 DevSecOps Agile MBSE Cameo IBM DOORs Software Assurance CNSSI 1253 DoD 8570 DoD 8510 AFI 17-101 CISSP ISSEP ISSAP Systems Engineering Requirement Management

What you'll do

Decompose, derive, and refine system cybersecurity requirements at all levels to ensure built-in protections are integrated into architecture and design.
Guide and support security layout, architecture, and the selection and development of security tools.
Evaluate proposed implementations to identify security risks, analyze attack surfaces, and verify that cybersecurity protections are functional.
Ensure weapon systems comply with contractually obligated standards including CNSSI 1253, DoD 8570, DoD 8510, and AFI 17-101.
Propose and design cyber systems architecture changes with full traceability to requirements.
Perform cyber-attack surface analysis of system designs and provide recommendations to mitigate risks.
Participate in cybersecurity assessment activities, including review of plans, procedures, and security penetration test execution.
Develop and document technical standard engineering processes and procedures as needed for the program.

What we're looking for

Possession of an active Secret clearance is required.
Must be able to obtain a Top-Secret clearance and Special Access.
Ability to obtain an IASAE II certification (CISSP preferred) within six months of hire.
Bachelor’s degree with 5 years, Master’s with 3 years, or PhD with 1 year of experience in Systems/Cyber/Computer Engineering or Science for Principal level.
Bachelor’s degree with 8 years, Master’s with 6 years, or PhD with 4 years of experience in Systems/Cyber/Computer Engineering or Science for Sr. Principal level.
Direct experience utilizing NIST 800-160 system security engineering and the system development life cycle.
Direct experience supporting RMF assessment authorization artifacts to satisfy NIST SP 800-37 requirements.
Experience in systems engineering activities including requirement decomposition, architecture, design, implementation, integration, and verification.

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