Staff Systems Engineer - Level 5 at Northrop Grumman
Redondo Beach, CA
$177,000–$265,600from the description
Jul 1, 2026
Redondo Beach, CA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior-level systems engineering role on a space vehicle program, covering requirements and verification, interface definition, architecture, and DOORS administration. The position involves developing verification plans and test requirements, supporting program milestones, and coordinating with spacecraft and ground systems engineering teams across multiple working groups. It suits an experienced systems engineer with a background in spacecraft programs and model-based systems engineering tools.
Staff level · 12+ years · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · Bachelor's required · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
Why we read it this way (7)
This is a Systems Engineering role (spacecraft/space vehicle), not a software development or IT occupation. No standard BLS computer/mathematical SOC fits cleanly; 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is used as the closest available code, with 15-1211 (Computer Systems Analysts) as a runner-up given the requirements/verification and architecture work.
The role is explicitly titled 'Staff Systems Engineer – Level 5' by Northrop Grumman's internal leveling, which maps to the Staff band. The 12+ years (BS), 10+ years (MS), or 8+ years (PhD) experience gates are consistent with that level.
Total years minimum is set to 12 (the lowest qualifying threshold, for a Bachelor's degree holder). Candidates with advanced degrees qualify with fewer years.
All named tools (DOORS, CAMEO, MBSE, Microsoft Office suite, Visio) appear exclusively under the 'Preferred Qualifications' section.
The clearance requirement is SCI access, which the JD explicitly gates on ('Candidate must … have the willingness and ability to obtain and maintain active SCI access prior to start date'). An active TS/SCI at time of application is listed as preferred, but the ability to obtain SCI is a hard gate.
The role is on-site in Redondo Beach, CA (Los Angeles metro); no remote option is indicated.
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.
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