Consulting Systems Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Relocation assistance may be available. This position requires a current US Government DoW Secret security clearance and the ability to obtain and maintain a Special Access Program (SAP) clearance. Travel is required, approximately 10% of the time.

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking a Lead Consulting Systems Engineer (Level 7) to support our Stand‑in Attack Weapon (SiAW) missile program as part of the Advanced Weapons team. The role is located in Northridge, CA and requires full‑time, on‑site work. The Lead Consulting SE plans and executes system engineering core functions; collects, manages, and reports engineering metrics; and is responsible for V&V of engineering across all program elements (systems/hardware/software/support/integration and test). The Lead SE is typically responsible for ensuring teams have qualified staff to develop and demonstrate technical performance while satisfying allocated cost and schedule requirements.

• Ensure the program adheres to disciplined systems engineering practices across development, integration, test, production, and sustainment, and that all activities comply with company procedures and quality.
• Lead vertical and horizontal technical integration across product teams, suppliers, and stakeholders throughout the program life cycle.
• Develop, allocate, and manage system requirements, key design criteria, and technical performance measures (TPMs), ensuring traceability from customer requirements through verification and validation.
• Plan and manage system‑level integration and verification activities, including test planning, test execution oversight, and review/approval of test results and verification evidence.
• Provide technical leadership to the Program Management Office (PMO) and Chief Engineer (CE), including status on technical maturity, risks, issues, and integration challenges.
• Plan and execute early integration and interfacing activities with external stakeholders (e.g., government customer, platform integrators, suppliers) to reduce downstream risk.
• Lead the planning and execution of reviews (e.g., CDR, SVR, FCA/PCA) and ensure entry/exit criteria are met.
• Ensure key systems engineering milestones and technical commitments are achieved in accordance with the program integrated master schedule (IMS).
• Perform risk and opportunity management in accordance with program risk management processes, including identification, assessment, mitigation planning, and tracking of execution effectiveness.
• Provide subject matter expertise and technical ownership for critical system functions and interfaces that span multiple subsystems and disciplines (hardware, software, firmware, mission planning, etc.).
• Review system and subsystem design artifacts (requirements, interface control documents, models, trade studies, analyses, and test procedures) for technical correctness, completeness, and consistency with the system architecture.
• Enforce appropriate engineering rigor across design, analysis, and verification activities through use of standard processes, documentation/modeling practices, and configuration management.
• Communicate and defend the system technical baseline, design decisions, and quantitatively supported trade studies to internal and external stakeholders, including customer engineering organizations and executive leadership.
• Support and/or chair technical boards (e.g., Engineering Review Board, Change Control Board) and contribute to the Risk and Opportunities Management Board, including follow‑through on mitigation and opportunity capture actions.

• Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related STEM discipline with a minimum of 16 years of relevant engineering experience; or a Master’s degree with a minimum of 14 years of relevant engineering experience; or a PhD with 12 years.
• Demonstrated systems engineering leadership experience on major DoD or Government acquisition programs, including leading multi‑discipline teams of 20+ engineers.
• Experience executing systems engineering across the lifecycle, including requirements development/management, architecture development, design, integration, test, verification, and validation.
• Hands‑on experience with systems integration, test planning, test execution, anomaly resolution, and documentation of test results and verification closure.
• Experience with model‑based systems engineering (MBSE) methods and tools (e.g., SysML modeling environments) applied to system requirements, architecture, and interfaces.
• Experience collaborating with customers, end users, hardware teams, software teams, specialty engineering (safety, RAM, survivability, etc.), and suppliers.
• Experience leading complex system/subsystem requirement decomposition, design trades, integration, and verification activities in a multi‑discipline environment.
• Working knowledge of the Systems Engineering V‑Model and demonstrated experience executing SE workflows, technical reviews, and gated milestones.
• Experience mentoring and providing technical guidance and career development feedback to junior engineers.
• Current US Government DoW Secret security clearance with the ability to get cleared for and maintain a Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.

• Experience with weapon systems and/or Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA), Government Reference Architecture (GRA), or other open systems architecture frameworks.
• Experience with digital engineering approaches, including digital threads, integrated digital environments, and model‑based integration of design, analysis, and test artifacts.
• Experience with mission systems, avionics, or complex embedded systems integrating hardware, software, and firmware.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, cross‑functional environment with competing priorities and evolving requirements.
• Strong decision‑making skills and ability to drive technical trades and recommendations with clear rationale and risk/benefit articulation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation and delivery of technical briefings to internal leadership and external customers.
• Demonstrated analytical thinking, problem solving ability, and creativity in developing and evaluating system solutions.

Primary Level Salary Range: $212,100.00 – $318,100.00. Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Employees may receive Long Term Incentives. We provide health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a savings plan, company‑paid holidays, and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and personal business.

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.