Northrop Grumman logo

Principal/ Sr Principal Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman

Colorado Springs, COJob$98–184K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

Most applications go out cold — see where you stand first. No sign-up to start.

You apply on the employer's site, with no Olive account needed.

Watch jobs like this.

Don't just apply. Show up ready.

Olive works from this exact posting.

At a glance

Compensation
$98–184K/yr
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
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.

Secret clearanceBachelor's degree

Job overview

The Systems Engineer will join Northrop Grumman’s Sentinel Systems Engineering & Integration team and translate primary Statement of Work requirements into subcontractor Statements of Work. The role is onsite and may be based in Roy, Utah, Colorado Springs, Colorado, or Huntsville, Alabama. The successful candidate will apply systems engineering skills, provide design feedback and leadership updates, and support clear, verifiable work aligned with program objectives.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Systems EngineeringAcquisitionMBSEMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft PowerPointDOORSJiraConfluenceIssue ResolutionTechnical SupportTeamworkCustomer CollaborationSDRLDID StructuresCompliance DocumentationAgileExternal Customer CollaborationDXLTeamcenterCPLMPrOP WritingPrOP GovernanceStatement of Work DraftingContract ReviewProcurement Documents

Qualifications

Bachelor's in STEM5+ Years Experience or MS+3 or PhD+18+ Years Experience or MS+6 or PhD+4US CitizenshipActive DoD Secret ClearanceInvestigation Within 6 Years

Benefits

Relocation Assistance
Medical Insurance
Paid Time Off

Full job description

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.

This candidate will join the Sentinel Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) Team. This is a dual level Systems Engineer 3/4 with the primary location of Roy, Utah, we may also consider Colorado Springs, Colorado or Huntsville, Alabama. The work will be on-site and relocation assistance may be available.

Candidates must be able to translate primary Statement of Work requirements into the Master Subcontractor Statement of Work Template which drives the creation of Subcontractor Statements of Work.

The successful candidate will clearly demonstrate strong leadership and foundational systems engineering skills to drive rigor, traceability, and architectural context needed to craft an MSSOWT that is clear, verifiable, and aligned with the overall program objectives.

Demonstrated ability to foster diverse and inclusive teams with high levels of engagement, including mentoring and coaching, are a must. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. This candidate should feel comfortable providing critical, actionable feedback on system designs as well as giving regular status updates to program leadership.

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) required for both levels.

Principal Systems Engineer : 5 years or experience; or Master's degree with 3 years of experience; PhD with 1 years of experience

Sr Principal Systems Engineer : 8 years or experience; or Master's degree with 6 years of experience; PhD with 4 years of experience

  • Must be a US Citizen with an active DoD Secret Clearance with an investigation date within the last 6 years

  • Experience in System Engineering principles (including acquisition and MBSE)

  • Proficient in using Microsoft (MS) Word, Excel, Power Point

  • Proficient in using DOORS (including Change Proposals), Jira, and Confluence

  • Experience resolving issues and providing technical support

  • Capable of working with minimal direction and in team environments

  • Experience working with internal customers outside of your own group

  • Familiarity with SDRL and DID structures

  • Familiarity with Compliance documentation

  • Experience with Agile

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience working with external customers to meet program expectations in a timely and efficient manner

  • Experience using DXL

  • Teamcenter/CPLM experience

  • Experience with PrOP writing or governance

  • Direct involvement in drafting or reviewing statements of work, contracts, or procurement documents

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00

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 11,789 open Systems Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$98–184K/yr
  • Colorado median$115–178K/yr941 salary ranges
  • US median$116–190K/yr8,703 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $141K, is 4% below the Colorado median midpoint ($148K) — in the middle half of Systems Engineer salary ranges in Colorado.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 1,094 open Systems Engineer jobs in Colorado and 11,789 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Colorado
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Systems Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 9,870 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 4,515 of the 11,789 open Systems Engineer jobs (38%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 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.

Prepare for this role

You've read the whole posting — now see how you match it.