Principal Engineer Optical
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 31, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 2, 2026. Northrop Grumman scores B on the Alion truth index.
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 Space Systems sector, located in Redondo Beach, California, is seeking a Principal Engineer Optical to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. The qualified applicant will become part of a team that produces advanced models and simulations.
**Please be aware that this position is contingent upon capturing program award and obtaining customer funding prior to the start date**
Roles & Responsibilities:
- Support the development of architectures and requirements for emerging EO/IR sensor systems
- Perform EO/IR sensor performance analysis, modeling and simulation to enable evaluations of sensor designs
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) discipline with 5+ years of EO/IR performance analysis experience in an aerospace environment; or Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 3+ years of EO/IR performance analysis experience in an aerospace environment; or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 1+ years of EO/IR performance analysis experience in an aerospace environment.
- Analytical programming experience in Matlab or Python
- Candidate must have and be able to maintain an active U.S. Government security clearance at the Secret level with a background investigation date within 10 years
Preferred Qualifications:
- Degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or Astrophysics or Chemistry
- Experience personally building EO/IR sensors or sensor instrumentation and an understanding of EO/IR sensor hardware
- Ability to maintain an active U.S. Government security clearance at the Top Secret level with a background investigation date within 6 years, or the ability to maintain an active U.S. Government SCI access with a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) completed within the last 5 years
**Please be aware that this position is contingent upon capturing program award and obtaining customer funding prior to the start date**
Primary Level Salary Range: $125,300.00 - $187,900.00The 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 http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.