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Senior Principal Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Mars

Sr. Principal Engineer - Wet

Franklin, TN

Sr. Principal Engineer - Wet The Sr. Principal Engineer role leads the R&D delivery of high stakes and complex projects for the Wet Technology Platform. It provides technical leadership, extensive ...

Rieke Packaging Systems

Senior Principal Engineer

Gardena, CA · On-site

$128K - $176K/yr

To learn more about PennAero's capabilities and commitment to aerospace excellence, visit We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Principal Engineer to support aerospace manufacturing operations.

UiPath

Senior Principal Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$140K - $194K/yr

They are seeking a Senior Principal Engineer to lead the development of large-scale cloud services and ensure engineering excellence while integrating AI into their solutions. Responsibilities : • ...

TriMas Corporation

Senior Principal Engineer

Gardena, CA · On-site

$128K - $176K/yr

To learn more about PennAero's capabilities and commitment to aerospace excellence, visit We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Principal Engineer to support aerospace manufacturing operations.

Trilon

Senior Principal Engineer

Blacksburg, VA

$110K - $151K/yr

Position Summary The Senior Principal Engineer is a senior leadership role responsible for technical excellence, strategic growth, and operational oversight within Rinker Design Associates ...

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Senior Principal Engineer information

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$82K

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$214.5K

How much do senior principal engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 23, 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 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 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 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.

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Senior Principal Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Principal Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $155,430 per year, or $74.7 per hour.
Principal or Sr. Principal Engineer Aeronautical - Stores Aerodynamics

Principal or Sr. Principal Engineer Aeronautical - Stores Aerodynamics

Northrop Grumman Corporation

El Segundo, CA

$122K - $213K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted 27 days ago

Northrop Grumman rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 356 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

85th of 535 rated manufacturers

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE 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 Aeronautics Systems is hiring a Principal or Senior Principal Engineer Aeronautical to join our Vehicle Engineering organization of qualified, diverse individuals in El Segundo, CA or Melbourne, FL.

We are seeking an experienced aerodynamics engineer to join our team in analyzing next-generation aerodynamic stores integration and Air Vehicle aerodynamics. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in aerodynamics and a passion for developing innovative solutions to improve flight performance.

Responsibilities:

  • Perform aerodynamic characterization efforts utilizing analytical methods

  • Perform analytical stores trajectory and separation analyses

  • Provide technical analysis data for data reports and other Airworthiness artifacts required to support flight clearances and certification

  • Support execution of wind tunnel test events including two-body separation tests

  • Support ground and flight test events, acquisition and analysis of test data

  • General frequent use and application of technical standards, principles, theories, concepts and advanced techniques

  • Demonstrates the skill and ability to perform complex professional tasks

  • Innovates solutions to a variety of technical challenges of increasing scope and complexity

  • Work closely with other disciplines including Configuration, Aerodynamics, S&RE, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Mechanisms, etc.

  • Utilize excellent communication skills to report program milestones, technical approaches, and findings to leads, program management, and customer

This role can be filled as an Engineer (level 2), Principal Engineer (level 3) or Sr. Principal Engineer (level 4) depending on the qualifications below.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Basic qualifications for a Principal Engineer include a Bachelor's in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) and at least 5 years of experience, a Master's Degree in STEM with 3 years of experience, or a PhD Degree with no experience.

  • Basic qualifications for a Sr. Principal Engineer include a Bachelor's in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) and at least 8 years of experience, a Master's Degree in STEM with 6 years of experience, or a PhD Degree with 3 years of experience.

  • Knowledge of fixed-wing aircraft aerodynamics

  • Experience with using aerodynamic tools and techniques

  • Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data

  • Must have an active US Government Secret or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)

  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance prior to the commencement of employment

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Degree discipline in Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering with concentration in aerodynamics

  • Experience with generating aerodynamic databases for 6-DOF simulation

  • Experience in conducting 6-DOF stores trajectory and separation analyses

  • Experience with onsite support of wind tunnel testing and data acquisition systems

  • Experience in supporting ground and flight test events and analyzing collected data

  • Experience with DOD safety board processes for store separation

  • Fortran, C/C++ and/or Python programming skills

  • Demonstrated record of working hard, strong communication skills, and being accountable

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $171,000.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $213,400.00The 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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