Space Principal/ Sr. Principal Hardware Engineer (Circuit Card Focused)

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.

This position description does not represent a current opening but may be used to identify candidates with skills and experience for positions within Northrop Grumman that frequently become available. Candidates who express an interest may be considered for future positions at Northrop Grumman.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems - Payload and Ground Systems has an exciting career opportunity for a Principal Hardware Engineer / Sr. Principal Hardware Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be located in Boulder, CO .

Overview:

As a Principal / Sr. Principal Hardware Engineer you will be developing and sustaining systems using current technologies and others yet to come. We are seeking individuals who have a thirst for knowledge, approach each day with optimism, and have a relentless drive to solve complex problems. Creativity and innovation are imperative for this role, because at Northrop Grumman, many of the problems we work on are impossible… until they're not.

The selected Principal / Sr. Principal Hardware Engineer will work the Payload and Ground Systems (PGS) S2E2 program.

Essential Functions:

The selected candidate will join a team of dedicated engineers, supporting a critical national defense mission. The responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supports the design, development, and analysis of Ground Station requirements.
• Implements Hardware (HW), and Radio Frequency (RF) systems in support of Ground Based Systems architecture and support communications infrastructure.
• Conducts technical analysis of product implementations, modifications, and enhancements to product in accordance with specific customer specifications and implementations.
• Tests and understands a variety of electronic equipment and systems, including satellite modems; Front-end processors; general communications equipment and systems; circuitry components; analog and digital computers; and control and test equipment.
• Evaluates and resolves engineering related production problems related to manufacturing, design, quality, and material engineering.
• Analyzes engineering specifications and drawings; confers with quality, material, manufacturing, and subcontractors to provide and obtain technical information; investigates reports of defective, damaged, or malfunctioning parts, assemblies, equipment, or systems; and reviews production schedules and orders.
• Examines, measures, inspects, or tests defective parts for conformance. Evaluates findings to formulate corrective actions.
• Applies electrical, electronic, and mechanical principles to components and systems, including assembly, analysis, and documentation of results; construction of developmental assemblies, sub-assemblies, and components; and quality testing.
• Responsible for research and/or product development in more than one engineering discipline.
• Supports and participates in the design, test, modification, fabrication, and assembly of electro-mechanical systems.

Basic Qualifications:

• Principal Hardware Engineer: Bachelor's Degree in STEM discipline from an accredited university and 5 years of related experience, or a master's degree and 3 years of experience, or a PhD and 0 years of experience; or 9 years of related experience in lieu of degree.
• Sr. Principal Hardware Engineer: Bachelor's Degree in STEM discipline from an accredited university and 9 years of related experience, or a master's degree and 7 years of experience, or a PhD and 4 years of experience; or 13 years of related experience in lieu of degree.
• Ability to obtain an active Secret level DoD Clearance.
• Experience developing ground terminals (S and K band systems specifically is a plus).
• Experience with tactical datalinks.
• Experience with fiber-optic links (using fiber testing tools for troubleshooting are a plus).
• Signal loss & link budget calculation.
• Digital Signal Processing (DSP) experience (specifically Modems and Front-End Processors for antennas).
• HEMP hardened system development, and/or testing experience.
• Environmental hardening, and/or testing experience.
• Power system (DC & low voltage AC) design.
• Loopback testing and link strength + quality (G/T) analysis.
• Troubleshooting electrical systems down to LRU level.
• Creating electrical diagrams, signal flow diagrams.
• Experience with MS Office suite of tools (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or RF Engineering or related discipline.
• Circuit Card Analysis and/or design experience.
• Familiarity with functional analysis, detailed studies, interface definition to translate system requirements into subsystem specifications.
• Familiarity with integration, installation, test, and documentation of new and/or modified capabilities into complex systems.
• Familiarity with hand tools and test equipment, and the use thereof.
• Familiarity with hand soldering/J-STD-001 Certified.
• Ability to travel between 10 and 25% of the year.
• Ability to work independently with multi-disciplined teams within the program.
• Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance or the ability to obtain.
• Military experience or experience interacting with military customer.

Salary Range: $97,500 - $146,300

Salary Range 2: $120,900 - $181,300

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.

Employees may be eligible for 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.

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.