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Senior Principal Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Hazen and Sawyer

Senior Principal Engineer

Fairfax, VA · On-site

$128.50K - $177.10K/yr

Hazen and Sawyer is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer for our Fairfax, VA office. Key Responsibilities: * Delivering public sector water and wastewater facilities planning and design projects

AllSTEM Connections

Sr. Principal Engineer

Atlanta, GA · On-site

$172.60K/yr

Senior Principal Aerospace Engineer (Structural Repair) Role Overview We are seeking a high-level Senior Principal Engineer to serve as the technical authority for the design, analysis, and ...

Chipton Ross

Sr Principal Engineer

Round Lake, IL · On-site

Job #218426 Chipton-Ross is seeking a Sr. Principal Engineer for a hybrid contract opportunity in Round Lake, IL. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS (REQUIRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE) * A demonstrated track record in ...

QCi

Senior Principal Engineer, Photonics Design Location: Hoboken, NJ/Cranbury, NJ Division: Technology Department: PIC Engineering Reports to: Senior Director, PIC Engineering About Us Quantum Computing ...

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Senior Principal Engineer information

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$82K

$155.4K

$214.5K

How much do senior principal engineer jobs pay per year?

As of May 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior principal engineer in the United States is $155,430.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $125,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Principal Engineer, and why are they important?

To excel as a Senior Principal Engineer, you need deep technical expertise in your engineering discipline, advanced problem-solving abilities, and typically a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard design and simulation software, project management tools, and relevant certifications (such as PMP or PE) are often required. Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and strong communication skills distinguish top performers in this role. These competencies are vital for leading complex projects, driving innovation, and effectively guiding engineering teams to achieve organizational goals.

How does a Senior Principal Engineer typically contribute to cross-functional projects within an organization?

Senior Principal Engineers often serve as technical leaders on cross-functional projects, collaborating closely with product managers, architects, and development teams to define technical direction and ensure architectural consistency. They provide deep expertise to solve complex engineering challenges, mentor other engineers, and help align project goals with the organization's strategic vision. Their role frequently involves facilitating communication between different departments and ensuring technical decisions support both immediate project needs and long-term scalability.

What is a Senior Principal Engineer?

A Senior Principal Engineer is a highly experienced technical leader who is responsible for guiding the overall engineering direction and strategy within an organization. They typically possess deep expertise in their field, provide mentorship to other engineers, and influence major architectural and technical decisions. Senior Principal Engineers often collaborate with cross-functional teams, ensure best practices are followed, and play a critical role in driving innovation. Their work has a significant impact on the company's products and technical vision.

What is the difference between Senior Principal Engineer vs Lead Engineer?

AspectSenior Principal EngineerLead Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, with extensive industry experienceSimilar educational background, often with additional certifications or specialized training
Work EnvironmentFocuses on high-level technical strategy, innovation, and mentorship across projectsLeads specific projects or teams, overseeing technical execution and coordination
Industry UsageCommon in large corporations and R&D settingsFound in both startups and established companies, often in project-based roles

While both roles require strong technical expertise, the Senior Principal Engineer typically focuses on strategic technical leadership and innovation at an organizational level, whereas the Lead Engineer manages project execution and team coordination. The Senior Principal Engineer often operates at a higher, more strategic level within the engineering hierarchy.

More about Senior Principal Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Senior Principal Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Senior Principal Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Principal Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Principal Engineer jobs are:
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What job categories do people searching Senior Principal Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Principal Engineer jobs are:
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Senior Principal Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Principal Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 17% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $155,430 per year, or $74.7 per hour.
Principal / Sr Principal Embedded Software Engineer

Principal / Sr Principal Embedded Software Engineer

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Warner Robins, GA

Full-time

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted 12 hours ago

Northrop Grumman rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 336 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

103rd of 512 rated manufacturers

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: NoCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescriptionAt 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 Defense Sector has a need for a Principal / Sr. Principal Embedded Software Engineer with its Weapons Integration and Mission Solutions (WIMS) organization in Warner Robins, GA. This engineering position is for a role on our Integrated Mission Solutions (IMS) Embedded Software Engineering Team. You will be an integral part of an interdisciplinary team of engineers focused on the modernization and sustainment of Embedded Electronic Warfare and Radar Operational Flight Programs. Our ideal candidate will possess technical expertise, a drive to lead from where you are, collaborative people skills, and the proven ability to work within a technically diverse team. This is a full-time salaried position in Warner Robins, GA and requires that you work on-site daily.

What you'll get to do:

  • Develop, modify, and maintain embedded operational flight programs using software development best practices and standards.

  • Participate in the full software development life cycle, to include requirements development, modeling and design, unit to CSCI testing, integration, formal system testing, release, installation, and maintenance.

  • Ability to provide leadership in solving complex problems.

  • Frequent opportunities to interact with Program Management, external suppliers and/or government customers, therefore excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills are essential to succeeding in this role

**This position may be filled at the Principal Engineer Embedded Software OR Senior Principal Engineer Embedded Software level.

Basic Qualifications for Principal Engineer Embedded Software:

  • Must have a Bachelor of Science (B.S) degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or an equivalent STEM related discipline.

  • Minimum of 5 years of direct relevant experience with B.S degree; Minimum of 3 years of direct relevant experience with Masters degree; Minimum of 1 year of direct relevant experience with PhD.

  • Proficiency in C/C++/Ada or other Object-Oriented programming languages

  • Proficiency in all areas of the formal software development lifecycle process from requirements to testing

  • Proficiency in analytical thinking and problem-solving

  • Highly motivated self-starters and able to efficiently operate in a team environment

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills

  • Must currently hold or be able to obtain and maintain a U.S Department of Defense (DoD) Secret level security clearance

Basic Qualifications for Sr. Principal Engineer Embedded Software:

  • Must have a Bachelor of Science (B.S) degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or an equivalent STEM related discipline.

  • Minimum of 8 years of direct relevant experience with B.S degree; Minimum of 6 years of direct relevant experience with Masters degree; Minimum of 4 years of direct relevant experience with PhD.

  • Proficiency in C/C++/Ada or other Object-Oriented programming languages

  • Proficiency in all areas of the formal software development lifecycle process from requirements to testing

  • Proficiency in analytical thinking and problem-solving

  • Highly motivated self-starters and able to efficiently operate in a team environment

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills

  • Must currently hold or be able to obtain and maintain a U.S Department of Defense (DoD) Secret level security clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Active Secret Security Clearance

  • Experience developing/debugging software targeted at real-time embedded operating systems (VxWorks, Embedded Linux)

  • Experience developing/debugging Electronic Warfare/Radar software

  • Experience with hands-on software/hardware integration and testing

  • Experience with the Agile software development process

  • Experience interfacing with customers and/or stakeholders

  • Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams

  • Experience with digital signal processing

  • Experience analyzing system requirements to derive software design and test specifications

  • Experience using Jira/Bitbucket/Git

  • Experience with LabView

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00The 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.

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About Northrop Grumman

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

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.

Industry

Space research administration

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US

Year founded

1939

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