Principal / Sr Principal Missile Warning System Engineer at Northrop Grumman
Warner Robins, GA
$98,400–$184,200from the description
Jul 13, 2026
Warner Robins, GA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A systems engineering role focused on the AAR-47 laser and missile warning system, based on-site in Warner Robins, GA. Day-to-day work spans capturing and maintaining system requirements, managing component lifecycle and obsolescence risks, and designing and testing electronic assemblies including PCBs and power modules. The role also involves coordinating electrical interfaces with embedded software teams and working with optical and electronic test equipment. Suits engineers with a background in electrical or computer engineering and hands-on hardware development experience.
Senior level · 5+ years · Warner Robins, GA · Bachelor's required · Secret clearance · Full-time
Advertised as Principal, 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.
Why we read it this way (8)
This role is hardware/electronics-focused systems engineering (PCB design, EE lab equipment, DMSMS lifecycle, optical/laser warning systems) rather than a software or IT occupation. No SOC code in the allowed list cleanly fits; 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is used as the closest available code, with 15-1211 (Computer Systems Analysts) as the runner-up given the systems-engineering and requirements-analysis duties.
The posting covers two levels simultaneously: Principal Systems Engineer (5+ years BS) and Sr. Principal Systems Engineer (8+ years BS). The salary range spans both levels ($98,400–$184,200). The overall years minimum is set to 5 (the lower gate) and seniority is Senior, as both levels map to Senior on a standard career ladder despite the 'Principal' title — the JD does not describe org-wide technical authority consistent with a Staff or Principal band.
The level advertised in the title is set to Principal because the job title explicitly reads 'Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer.'
The clearance field reflects the JD's requirement that candidates 'must currently hold or be able to obtain' a Secret clearance; a Secret clearance is therefore a hard gate. The header also notes 'CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No,' meaning candidates who can obtain one are acceptable — but the requirement to hold or obtain it is still a gate.
Altium Designer, Mentor Graphics, and Cadence Allegro appear under Preferred Qualifications and are marked preferred, with the three treated as interchangeable alternatives for the same EDA tool requirement.
MATLAB/Simulink and SysML also appear under Preferred Qualifications and are marked preferred.
Schematic capture, PCB layout, BOM generation, and lab equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, logic analyzers, function generators, optical test equipment, automated test systems) are listed in the Basic Qualifications section and are marked required.
Requires a 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.
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