Principal Operations Systems Engineer – Level 3
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 10, 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’s Space Sector is seeking a Principal Operations Systems Engineer - Level 3 to join our team in Aurora, CO. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
*Please be aware that this position will be contingent upon capturing program award(s), obtaining and maintaining customer funding, and holding final clearances (if applicable) prior to start date.*
This role will support the operations of a 24x7 critical system located at a field site located in Aurora, CO. This position will include a comprehensive, 20-week training course intended to provide “street to seat” knowledge of a complex operational system of systems. At the completion of this training, the employee will perform a set of 12-hour crew shifts and complete and on-the-job (OJT) checklist to become a certified Senior System Controller (SSC).
In this job, you will:
- Development of products and CONOPs for the 24x7 operation of a mission critical system
- Troubleshooting of real-world operations issues
- Trending of operational data and simulation of products and CONOPs prior to transition to operations
- Returning systems to an operational state, ensuring the health and safety of the systems while maximizing mission availability
- Review or development of standard operating procedures that are executed real time on the operational system for standard events and anomaly recoveries
- Developing scripts and products to automate the operations of complex systems
- Develop suites of operational products for newly delivered systems
- Ability and willingness to work rotating 12-hour shifts which will be scheduled 5:30am to 5:30pm and 5:30pm to 5:30am 4 days on, 4 days off including weekends and holidays rotating days and nights.
- Other duties as assigned
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.
*This position is contingent upon capturing program award(s), obtaining and maintaining customer funding, and holding final clearances (if applicable) prior to start date*
Basic Qualifications:
- Approved STEM Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of professional experience - OR - Approved STEM Master’s degree with 3 years of professional experience - OR - Approved STEM PhD with 1 year of professional experience.
- Requires an active Top-Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance at time of application. Counterintelligence (CI) Polygraph required prior to start.
- Ability and willingness to work rotating 12-hour shifts which will be scheduled 5:30am to 5:30pm and 5:30pm to 5:30am 4 days on, 4 days off including weekends and holidays rotating days and nights.
- Proven leadership experience on a project and/or team.
- Experience in Linux
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ability to work as an effective member of a badgeless team, be self-motivated, and work under general direction while independently determining and developing approaches to solutions
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
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
Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00The 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.