Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer
Northrop Grumman · Dulles, VA
$114,000–$213,400from the description
Jun 28, 2026
Dulles, VA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A systems engineering role supporting space vehicle programs within a defense-focused division, working fully on-site in Dulles, VA. Day-to-day work spans requirements decomposition, interface control documentation, mission modeling, and technical analyses such as propellant budgets and RF link budgets, as well as preparing milestone review materials. Suited to engineers with a background in spacecraft systems and an active TS/SCI clearance.
Senior level · 5+ years · Remote · Bachelor's required · TS/SCI 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 (9)
The job posting explicitly states this role is '100% onsite' in Dulles, VA and 'cannot accommodate telecommute work.' The caller has overridden this to remote=true and no metro; the extracted location data reflects that instruction, not the posting.
The role is posted as a dual-level opening (Level 3 / Level 4, titled Principal/Sr. Principal Systems Engineer). The advertised title claims 'Principal'; however, the actual requirements (5–8 years of experience, team-level scope) are consistent with Senior-level work on a standard career ladder. Seniority is set to Senior accordingly.
Two salary ranges are provided: $114,000–$171,000 (Level 3) and $142,200–$213,400 (Level 4). The min/max reported here span both levels combined.
Total years minimum is set to 5 (the lower Level 3 gate). Level 4 requires 8 years with a Bachelor's.
Systems engineering experience is required but names no specific tool or platform — it is captured as a skill here because the JD explicitly gates on it as a discipline. Scripting/modeling tools (Python, MATLAB, STK, STOL) appear only under Preferred Qualifications.
SOC classification is Medium confidence: Systems Engineers in the space/defense domain are not cleanly mapped by BLS; 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is the closest fit for this multi-disciplinary engineering role; 15-1211 (Computer Systems Analysts) is the runner-up given the requirements/interface management emphasis.
Ignored 4 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): systems engineering, requirements management, interface management, CONOPs development.
Requires a TS/SCI 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.
Caller marked this a fully-remote role — scored against the national candidate pool.
Read the full posting
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