Systems Engineer - Level 3 at Northrop Grumman
Gilbert, AZ
$98,400–$147,600from the description
Jul 15, 2026
Gilbert, AZ
Jul 20, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A spacecraft systems engineering role focused on hands-on integration and test of space vehicles and associated ground support equipment. The position, known internally as a Vehicle Responsible Engineer, involves planning and executing test campaigns — including dynamics, thermal-vacuum, and EMI/EMC testing — tracking technical risks, supporting milestone reviews, and mentoring junior engineers. Suits a mid-career STEM engineer with systems engineering experience and an active Top Secret clearance.
Senior level · 5+ years · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · Bachelor's required · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
“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)
This is a spacecraft/aerospace Systems Engineer (Vehicle Responsible Engineer) role — not a pure software or IT occupation. SOC 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is used as the closest available code; 15-1211 (Computer Systems Analysts) is a plausible runner-up given the systems-analysis and requirements-management emphasis, but neither code is a perfect fit for a hardware-centric aerospace systems engineer.
Clearance gate: the JD requires an active Top Secret clearance at time of application AND the ability to obtain SCI — effectively a TS/SCI requirement from day one.
Degree requirement: a Bachelor's in a STEM discipline is the minimum stated path (5 years experience); a Master's (3 yrs) or PhD (1 yr) are alternative paths, so Bachelor's is the floor.
The 'Level 3' designation at Northrop Grumman corresponds to a Senior individual-contributor band, consistent with the 5-year minimum experience requirement.
The preferred technical tools (CREO, Windchill, MATLAB, STK, CORE, DOORS, CAMEO) are listed together under Preferred Qualifications as a single 'such as' list; CREO is used as the primary name with the others captured as alternatives on that one skill, but MATLAB, STK, DOORS, and CAMEO are also emitted separately as they are distinct, well-known tools a hiring manager may specifically seek.
Preferred qualifications include active SCI access with a recent SSBI — this is a strong-plus but not a hard gate (the basic qualification only requires active TS with ability to obtain SCI).
Spacecraft/aerospace domain skills (orbital mechanics, attitude control, propulsion, thermal engineering, EMI, etc.) are listed as desired under Preferred Qualifications; they are not emitted as named tool/technology skills per extraction rules.
Ignored 2 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): systems engineering, requirements management.
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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