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Sr. Principal Structural Design Engineer

Northrop Grumman

Redondo Beach, CAJob$142–213K/yrSeen 1 day agoSeen in employer's feed 1 day ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$142–213K/yr
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Top Secret clearance

Job overview

Northrop Grumman seeks a Sr. Principal Structural Design Engineer for its Space Sector, onsite in Redondo Beach, California. The engineer will lead spacecraft structural design from conceptual through detailed phases, develop simulation models and drawings, and coordinate manufacturing, integration, testing, and delivery. The role supports vehicle-level trades and program milestone reviews. Candidates must meet one of the stated STEM degree and engineering-experience paths and be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret clearance.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Spacecraft Structural DesignMechanical Design IntegrationAerospace Subsystem DesignCADSiemens NXCATIA V53DXEVMS/CAMProject Management

Qualifications

Bachelor's in STEM + 8 Years, Master's in STEM + 6 Years, or PhD in STEM + 4 Years8+ Years Engineering Experience6+ Years Engineering Experience4+ Years Engineering ExperienceTop Secret Clearance EligibilityActive TS/SCI Clearance

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Paid Time Off

Full job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

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 Space Sector is seeking a Sr. Principal Structural Design Engineer (Level  4) to join the Vehicle Engineering Directorate within Western Region Engineering. This position is located onsite in Redondo Beach, California .

As a Structural Design Engineer , you will lead the preliminary, conceptual, and detailed design of spacecraft components, subsystems, and systems. Your responsibilities will include developing high‑fidelity simulation models, releasing detailed drawings, and coordinating manufacturing, integration, test, and delivery of space‑vehicle structures.

Job responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Perform requirements definition, conceptual design, preliminary/layout work, detailed design, drawing release, design‑review presentations, and support for fabrication/integration.

  • Conduct bus‑equipment layout, payload layout, and preliminary cable‑ and harness‑routing (DC, RF, waveguide).

  • Collaborate closely with stress, manufacturing, M&P, and test teams to define design requirements, establish structural load paths, develop CAD models, and produce engineering drawings for flight and structural‑test articles.

  • Generate and maintain part and assembly drawings, source‑control drawings, interface‑control drawings, and installation drawings.

  • Participate in system‑level trades to ensure the vehicle meets all physical, mechanical, and environmental requirements while supporting payload, power, propulsion, thermal, communications, and attitude‑control system needs.

  • Support program milestone reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, IDR, etc.) and gate or lien closures.

  • Provide I&T sustaining support.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of engineering experience or Master’s degree in STEM with 6+ years of engineering experience or Ph.D. in STEM with 4+ years of engineering experience.

  • Prior work experience in aerospace subsystem design, mechanical‑design integration, or related engineering experience.

  • Proficiency with a CAD system (Siemens NX, CATIA V5, or 3DX).

  • Must be able and willing to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Active TS/SCI clearance

•EVMS/CAM and Project Management experience

Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:

https://www.northropgrumman.com/space .

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site: Northrop Grumman Total Rewards (https://totalrewards.northropgrumman.com/) .

#LosAngelesSpace

#SpaceEngJobs

#SpaceSoftwareJobs

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.

Job Category: Engineering

How this job compares

Set against the 7,215 open Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 7, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$142–213K/yr
  • California median$132–200K/yr625 salary ranges
  • US median$113–177K/yr3,759 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $178K, is 5% above the California median midpoint ($170K) — in the middle half of Engineering salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 922 open Engineering jobs in California and 7,215 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 4 years of experience; Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (4,961 postings).
Education
3,682 of the 7,215 open Engineering jobs (51%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 7, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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