Principal or Senior Principal Network and Communications Field Service Engineer - R102159583

Principal or Senior Principal Network and Communications Field Service Engineer (R)

Northrop Grumman is seeking an experienced Network and Communications Field Service Engineer to support the MQ‑4C Triton network and communications systems at RAAF Base Edinburgh, Adelaide, Australia.

At Northrop Grumman, employees work on revolutionary systems that impact lives worldwide. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity and cognitive diversity, inviting bold ideas to forge the future.

As a Principal or Senior Principal Network and Communications Field Service Engineer, you will receive daily tasking and prioritization from your site lead and be responsible for operations and maintenance support of the MQ‑4C Triton network and communications systems at a Forward Operating Base (FOB).

• Provide real‑time support for flight operations and maintenance, addressing any issues related to communications and networking to include fault isolation, remediation, and resolution.
• Perform field integration, troubleshooting, and repair of communications and data link systems in a military flight test environment, including operations on a flight line, in a hangar, and in command‑and‑control centers.
• Adhere to checklists and procedures to ensure repeated success and provide redlines to procedures when necessary.
• Communicate complex technical issues to local support, the Degrader Action Cell (DAC), Main Operation Bases (MOBs), and Responsible Engineers (REs).
• Support and lead air crew engagement for proper techniques in solving complex analysis of technical problems that arise during operations.
• Assist with trend analysis as needed for Responsible Engineers.
• Perform/support review and analysis of supplier design data and definition of functional test requirements including acceptance, qualification, and system integration.
• Take responsibility for the testing, maintenance, and integration of comms and networks equipment to include radio terminals, software loads, switches, routers, and firewalls required to support ground and flight test operations.
• Work with system admins, maintainers, and onsite personnel to troubleshoot and repair any internal operational issues.

The selected candidate will be placed on a temporary Domestic Assignment and will report to our San Diego, CA site daily prior to international deployment while clearance(s), Visa(s), and other documents are processed. Training will occur in San Diego during this period.

The expected timeline before deployment is 3‑4 months but may vary. Initially, the position will work a 9/80 shift; as the program matures, shifts may become 12‑hour shifts that could include nights, weekends, and/or holidays. The role requires full‑time on‑site work in Australia with travel up to 50% of the time.

• Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; or Master’s degree and 3 years of related experience; or PhD and 1 year of related experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification.
• Competence in Linux, troubleshooting, engineering documents, tools, and equipment.
• Familiarity with comms/networking operations.
• Ability to support a placement at RAAF Base Edinburgh for a minimum of 18 months.
• Ability to pass a new‑hire physical if required.
• Active DoD Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation).
• Ability to obtain and maintain SCI access.
• Ability to obtain a CI Polygraph.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.

• Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; or Master’s degree and 6 years; or PhD and 4 years.
• Ability to obtain and maintain DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification.
• Competence in Linux, troubleshooting, engineering documents, tools, and equipment.
• Familiarity with comms/networking operations.
• Ability to support a placement at RAAF Base Edinburgh for a minimum of 18 months.
• Ability to pass a…