Engineer Electrical Level 3/4 - Command and Data Handling
Ngc· Defense· Oct 2, 2026 · 26d ago
Dulles, VA
In office
Full-time
Senior
$142K–$213K
5+ years exp
Job description
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
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 is seeking a technical leader to act as our Electrical Systems and Command & Data Handling (C&DH) Subsystem Engineer. You will be responsible for the Electrical System design, architecture, and the required avionics that control the spacecraft s functions, manage data flows, both internal and with external systems, storing data, receives commands and transmits data to earth or other satellites.
Candidate should have a strong Electrical Engineering background and the ability to support a broad range of Electrical Engineering activities, ranging from box-level design support to system-level architecting. This customer-facing position supports the program / project staff in the analysis, investigation and resolution of engineering electrical systems problems, subsystem requirements development, and schedule management as required by the program. You will collaborate with team members from multiple subsystems and Subject Matter Experts (SME) to achieve a system that meets requirements. This can include Program Management (PM), Chief Engineer (CE), Lead Systems Engineer (LSE), Electronic Power Systems (EPS), Integration and Test (I&T), early career individuals and customer counterparts at various level.
At a higher level, we will expect you to define, articulate, and flow down customer requirements to other team members and staff regarding the systems you support. You may also be asked to manage budgeting and schedules, lead the C&DH subsystem team delivering qualified avionics hardware that meet customer requirements to the Integration and Test team, and act as the customer-facing representative of the project for the C&DH subsystem.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :
Performs requirement analysis and decomposition of customer requirements into hardware and software specifications and establish subsystem or system-level electrical verification method and plans.
Performs analyses to evaluate all levels of the system to ensure a cohesive electrical-system solution throughout the development lifecycle (concept, design, fabrication, test, installation, operation, maintenance, and disposal).
Manages the internal & external flight-vehicle electrical interfaces and develops the corresponding subsystem or system-level interconnect/block diagrams, grounding diagrams, and support electrical schematics and global connectivity list development for the flight vehicle on programs as needed.
Perform electrical interface compatibility verifications and verify electrical connectivity implementation (e.g. verify electrical harness implementation, safety-critical circuit segregation, support peer-reviews).
Oversees the technical planning, design integration, product integration, verification, and validation efforts for the CDH electrical-system elements throughout the development lifecycle. Influences the electrical-system design to facilitate electrical testing at the component, subsystem, and flight-vehicle levels, with the aim to enable automated testing where applicable.
Provides technical coordination of vendors and suppliers. Review suppliers “as-planned”, “as-designed”, and “as-built” documentation (e.g. interface control document, derating analysis, worst case analysis, qualification test plan and procedure, acceptance test plan and procedure, test report).
Manage hardware command and telemetry implementation (e.g. develop and coordinate calibration and conversion curves for analog telemetry in coordination subsystem engineers, verify electrical/software implementation).
Identify Electrical Systems and C&DH risks, develop risk mitigation plans for selected risks, and implement mitigations.
Contribute to assembly integration and test activities (e.g. electrical test requirements development, anomaly investigations/resolutions).
Interfacing with design and manufacturing groups to monitor component production process/progress to include Integration & Test (I&T) and relaying that status to management along with potential solutions to stay on target.
Provide technical oversight to ensure the C&DH electrical system is compliant and verifiable at the avionics digital and analog telemetry level.
Lead the costing & scheduling development for the C&DH subsystem on major programs from initial RFP efforts through end of program life. Develop cost estimates for proposals and programs as required.
Candidate must be comfortable with managing program execution from a Technical perspective, meeting deadlines, working on multiple projects concurrently, and working with various engineering disciplines and internal/external customers as required.
Basic Qualifications:
This position can be filled at the Principal or Sr. Principal level.
Level 3:
Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a STEM area (preferably Electrical Engineering) and 5 years of relevant work experience, 3 years of relevant work experience with a Master’s degree, or a PhD.
Technical experience in Electrical Systems or C&DH subsystem Engineering.
Experience with flight hardware development, including Material Review Boards (MRB), Parts, Materials & Processes (PM&P), procurement, assembly documentation, and End Item Data Packages (EIDP).
Active TS Clearance at the time of application with the ability to obtain SCI.
Hands-on mentality and a passion for fast-paced environments.
Level 4:
Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a STEM area (preferably Electrical Engineering) and 9 years of relevant work experience, 7 years of relevant work experience with a Master’s degree, or 4 years of relevant work experience with a PhD.
Technical experience in Electrical Systems or C&DH subsystem Engineering.
Experience with flight hardware development, including Material Review Boards (MRB), Parts, Materials & Processes (PM&P), procurement, assembly documentation, and End Item Data Packages (EIDP).
Active TS Clearance at the time of application with the ability to obtain SCI.
Hands-on mentality and a passion for fast-paced environments.
Preferred Qualifications :
Experience leading teams of engineers managing resources and schedules.
Experience with requirements tracking tool such as DOORS or CAMEO.
Digital design experience.
Experience developing FPGAs.
Strong verbal and written communications skills.
Experience with creating and tracking schedules using project tracking tools such as Microsoft project
Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) and creating variance reports.
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
northropgrumman.com
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.
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Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00
Secondary 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 northropgrumman.com. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
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