Space Principal/ Sr. Principal System Safety Engineer

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’s Space Sector is seeking a Principal / Senior Principal System Safety Engineer to join our team. This position is based out of Dulles, VA and will be 100% on-site. Relocation assistance may be available. A Top Secret clearance is required to start, and the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance is necessary. Travel is expected at 10% of the time.

About the role

System Safety Engineering utilizes system engineering processes and tools to drive the overall system design to meet safety requirements, minimizing risk inherent in spacecraft operations while maximizing mission reliability and success. System Safety Engineering is involved in all phases of a program life cycle, from proposal generation to launch operations. System Safety Engineers interface with Program Offices, Customers, and Ranges to ensure systems meet safety requirements while providing high reliability. Engineers are expected to understand how different components, subsystems, systems, and the integrated vehicle function and interact, with a focus on System Safety.

The System Safety Engineering effort includes interacting as part of a multi-disciplined engineering team to develop system architecture and constituent elements for new and existing flight programs, as well as new business concepts and proposals.

Responsibilities

• Define, implement, and verify System Safety requirements to ensure inherent risks are mitigated.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate hazards present in spacecraft using processes described in MIL-STD-882E.
• Prepare safety artifacts such as a System Safety Program Plan (SSPP), Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA), Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA), System/Subsystem Hazard Analysis (SHA/SSHA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Safety Assessment Report (SAR), Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Analysis, Software Safety Analysis, and Missile System Pre-Launch Safety Package (MSPSP) in support of customer requirements.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to support hazard and safety requirement adjudication and communicate safety risk to appropriate levels.
• Aid in the preparation, review, and acceptance of launch range safety documentation in accordance with AFSPCMAN 91-710.
• Prepare packages in support of program milestone design reviews such as SRR, PDR, and CDR, and present to internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Active Top Secret clearance required at time of application.
• Understanding of and experience with MIL-STD-882E to analyze, recommend, and drive safety into system design, equipment, and procedures to mitigate or eliminate hazards.
• Experience developing, reviewing, updating, and approving system safety artifacts and requirements such as SSPP, PHA, FHA, SHA/SSHA, FTA, SAR, Software Safety Analysis, and MSPSP.
• Familiarity with AFSPCMAN 91-710 and Range Safety compliance.
• Ability to work independently and effectively communicate (verbal and written) with internal and external customers.
• Strong technical writing skills.
• General understanding of spacecraft design and operation.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within a reasonable timeframe as determined by business needs.

Qualifications

For Principal System Safety Engineer:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university with 5 years of relevant/related experience (3 of which must be System Safety experience), or
• Master’s Degree in a STEM discipline with 3 years of System Safety experience, or
• 9 years of related experience in lieu of degree.

For Sr. Principal System Safety Engineer:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university with 8 years of relevant/related experience (3 of which must be System Safety experience), or
• Master’s Degree in a STEM discipline with 6 years of relevant/related experience (3 of which must be System Safety experience), or
• 12 years of related experience in lieu of degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of launch operations.
• Experience developing safety analyses supporting on-orbit operations.
• Knowledge of NASA safety standards such as NASA-STD-8719.24.
• Working knowledge of OSHA general industry standards (29 CFR 1910).

Pay

Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00

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.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Savings plan.
• Company-paid holidays.
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.