Staff Engineer Systems - External Interface

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. 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.

About the role

Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is seeking a Staff Systems Engineer – Level 5 to join our team in Redondo Beach, CA. In this role, the Staff Systems Interface Engineer will lead the definition, integration, and verification of system-to-system interfaces across complex space architectures. You will own the technical baseline for external interfaces between payloads, spacecraft buses, ground segments, and external mission partners, ensuring end-to-end interoperability, performance, and compliance with program requirements. You will work closely with systems engineering, hardware, software, and customer teams to decompose requirements, develop interface control documentation, and resolve integration issues throughout the program lifecycle.

This position is contingent upon capturing program award(s), obtaining and maintaining associated business and/or customer funding, and the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time. Continued employment will be subject to maintenance of the required clearance and program access level.

Relocation assistance may be available.
Clearance required for start: Yes (SCI)
Travel: Yes, 10% of the time

Responsibilities

• Own the technical definition and control of external interfaces for assigned subsystems and segments (space, ground, and cross-segment) and collaborate with diverse engineering design teams to assist in managing the technical baseline.
• Develop, maintain, and baseline Interface Control Documents (ICDs), Interface Requirement Specifications, and related configuration-managed artifacts.
• Decompose system-level requirements into interface requirements and allocate them to subsystems and components.
• Lead and participate in interface working groups, design reviews, and technical interchange meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain interfaces in DOORS Database, driving documentation into Digital Transformation.
• Support multiple engineering insertions simultaneously while ensuring the various maturations are synchronized.
• Coordinate interface definition across mechanical, electrical, data, RF, and software interfaces, ensuring consistency and traceability.
• Perform interface compatibility assessments, margin analyses, and trades to support architecture and design decisions.
• Support integration and test planning for interface verification, including development of test configurations, procedures, and success criteria.
• Investigate and resolve interface-related issues during integration and test, including anomaly triage and corrective action recommendations.
• Ensure interface design and documentation remain aligned with evolving requirements, configuration changes, and customer constraints.
• Contribute to risk identification and mitigation planning related to external interfaces.
• Provide clear technical communication to program leadership, customers, and cross-functional teams.
• Review RFCs for potential impacts and communicate internally to generate program responses.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 12+ years of engineering experience, OR Master's degree in STEM with 10 years of experience, OR PhD in a STEM discipline with 8 years of experience.
• Active SCI clearance at time of application; continued employment subject to maintenance of required clearance and program access.
• Experience developing and managing external interfaces and interface documentation (ICDs, IRDs, specs) and maintaining configuration control.
• Experience on space systems programs (spacecraft, payloads, ground segment, or mission operations).
• Familiarity with interface standards and industry best practices for space and ground systems.
• Experience working with customer and partner organizations on joint interface definition and control.
• Familiarity with requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS) and model-based or structured systems engineering practices.
• 12+ years of experience performing in a Systems Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Understanding of systems engineering principles and processes.
• Demonstrated written and oral communication skills through written requirements, test, and evaluation criteria.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in test procedure development, test planning, and/or integration and test.
• Familiarity with Model-Driven Systems Engineering languages (SysML/UML) and concepts; CORE knowledge a plus.
• Excellent technical writing skills and team-building skills.
• Experience in troubleshooting complex systems.
• Experience working as part of a diverse team in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401k
• Educational Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness Resources
• Employee Discounts
• Flexible Schedules (e.g., 9/80 work schedule, allowing an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off)

Pay

Primary level salary range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00. The above salary range represents a general guideline; Northrop Grumman considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's experience, education, skills, and current market conditions when determining base salary offers. 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.