System Engineer Level 3/4 - Mission Operations Engineer

About the role

• RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
• CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
• CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI
• TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

About the role

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 Systems Sector is seeking a System Engineer Level 3/4 - Mission Operations Engineer to join our team in Redondo Beach, CA.

*This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.

What you’ll get to do

• Help define and refine how a unique mission set is executed in partnership with the lead and broader team.
• Develop concepts of operations (CONOPS) and contribute to the refinement of complex mission employment approaches.
• Translate CONOPS into detailed procedures, checklists, and playbooks for day‑to‑day operations.
• Contribute to the design, testing, and improvement of tools, products, and processes that enable successful mission operations.
• Participate in planning and execution of operational rehearsals, simulations, and mission demonstrations.
• Support a culture of knowledge sharing by creating and maintaining documentation of system operations, hardware configurations, and software behaviors.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to ethics and integrity while proposing innovative ideas and improvements to existing practices.
• Work as an effective member of a high‑performing team, being self‑motivated and able to execute under general direction while independently developing approaches to assigned tasks.

Basic Qualifications for Level 3

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 5 years of related experience; OR a Master's degree in STEM with 3 years of related experience; OR, a PhD with 1 year of related experience
• Experience with space/ground system integration, test, or operations.
• Candidate must have an active SCI at time of application OR
• Candidate must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance (or equivalent) at time of application and prior to start date as well as the ability and willingness to obtain and maintain an active SCI prior to start date. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to the candidate’s maintenance of the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.

Basic Qualifications for Level 4

• Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 8 years of engineering experience; OR Master's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 6 years of engineering experience; OR PhD in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 4 years of engineering experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with space vehicle operations or the development of operational concepts, procedures, and tools.
• Exposure to rapid‑development satellite programs.
• Ability to script operational products and automate routine tasks (e.g., using Python, shell scripting, or similar tools).
• Experience developing simple tools, dashboards, or utilities to support mission planning, execution, or data analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to clearly document procedures and system behaviors for use by operators and cross‑functional teams.
• Strong communication skills and comfort collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.
• Willingness to support on-console activation and associated shift work, including nights, weekends, or non-standard hours as mission needs dictate.

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

• 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

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

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• 401k
• Educational Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness Resources
• Employee Discounts
• Flexible Schedules: for example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work.
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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.