Staff Cyber Systems Engineer – Cyber Team Lead (26-341)
Northrop Grumman · Colorado Springs, CO
$177,000–$265,600from the description
Jul 25, 2026
Colorado Springs, CO
Jul 26, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This on-site role at Schriever Space Force Base leads a Global Cyber team supporting a missile defense command-and-control program. Day-to-day work involves managing authorization packages, driving cybersecurity compliance across the software development lifecycle, coordinating with other engineering teams, and overseeing cost and schedule performance. It suits a seasoned cybersecurity professional with leadership experience, active Top Secret clearance, and a current DoD 8140 IASAE Level II or higher certification.
Senior level · 12+ years · Colorado Springs, CO · Top Secret clearance · Full-time
Advertised as Staff, but the requirements read as Senior.
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $133,758 (middle half $108,740–$165,225). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (9)
The title 'Staff Cyber Systems Engineer – Cyber Team Lead' uses 'Staff' as a Northrop Grumman internal grade designation (level 26-341), not the industry-standard Staff engineer band. The actual requirements (12+ years, team lead scope within a single contract) align with a Senior-level role.
The DoD Top Secret clearance is an explicit hard gate at time of application; TS/SCI eligibility is also required but full TS/SCI is listed under Preferred Qualifications as 'highly desired' rather than mandatory.
Degree requirement is marked None because the JD explicitly accepts 16 years of relevant experience as an alternative to any degree.
The 12-year minimum reflects the lowest experience path stated (Bachelor's + 12 years); the Master's path requires 10 years and the no-degree path requires 16 years.
Windows and Linux server hardening, GPO/IAVM/STIG application, and A&A package experience appear under Preferred/Desired Qualifications.
ESS, Splunk, and ACAS are cited in the required qualifications section as examples of cyber technologies the candidate must have knowledge of.
Network design and software engineering backgrounds are listed as a plus under Preferred Qualifications.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): compliance management.
Requires a Top Secret clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
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