Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman

Sr Principal Systems Engineer leading development of concepts for missile defense at Northrop Grumman. Responsibilities include system modeling, interface development, and Agile project participation.

Posted 7/16/2026full-timeColorado Springs • Alabama, Colorado • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $129,300 - $203,600 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in Systems Engineering Development Lifecycle, with a strong focus on requirements elicitation, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), and stakeholder communication. Holds a current DoD 8140 certification and an active Secret security clearance, ensuring compliance and security in system development.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)Requirements ElicitationDoD 8140 CertificationSecret Security ClearanceSystems Engineering Development Lifecycle

ATS Keywords

Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills

Requirements DecompositionSystem ModelingInterface Control Documents (ICDs)Interface Design Descriptions (IDDs)Behavioral ArtifactsAgile DevelopmentTechnical Engineering ReviewsVerification DocumentationArchitectural DocumentationEngineering Estimates

Soft Skills

Clear CommunicationCritical Feedback Reception

Tools & Technologies

Cameo

Certifications & Qualifications

DoD 8140 CertificationSecurity+ CECCNA-SecurityCySA+CND

Industry Keywords

Systems EngineeringStakeholder EngagementIntegrated Team EnvironmentConcept Development

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the development of new system concepts by translating stakeholder needs, gathered through documentation and solicitation, into easily reviewable technical approaches
Perform requirements elicitation and decomposition using behavioral artifacts such as use cases, activity diagrams, and sequence diagrams to convey understanding of the required behaviors and the system's performance under development
Lead the development of physical and logical system models that capture the system under development, using Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approaches and tools
Lead system interface development, as documented in Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and Interface Design Descriptions (IDDs), by translating system and interface requirements into message-level details sufficient to coordinate interface development
Facilitate formal and informal technical engineering reviews
Create, review, and critique interface documents, system requirements, verification documentation, architectural documentation, and engineering estimates
Interface with key stakeholders, including the MDA customer and working-level counterparts, as needed
Participate in Agile development planning and execution, including iteration planning and status reporting

Requirements

What you’ll need

A Bachelor’s Degree in STEM Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 8 years of experience; or a Master’s degree (preferred) in a STEM-related field with 6 years of relevant work experience; or a PhD in a related discipline with 4 years of relevant work experience
Applicants must have a current, active DoD 8140 certification at IAT Level II or higher (such as Security+ CE, CCNA-Security, CySA+, CND, etc.) at the time of application, which is required to start.
The candidate is responsible for maintaining their DoD 8140 certification throughout the entire contract period
Applicants must have a current, active in-scope DoD-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
Systems Engineer with 9+ years of experience working in an integrated team environment with other systems engineers to develop solutions covering all aspects of the Systems Engineering Development Lifecycle
Experience performing many of the responsibilities of this position, with a particular focus on concept development and requirements decomposition
Experience with MBSE approaches and tools (e.g., Cameo)
Ability to clearly and concisely communicate (written and verbal) with others, present technical content, and receive critical feedback.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health Plan
Savings Plan
Paid Time Off
Education Assistance
Training and Development
Flexible Work Arrangements