Principal​/Sr. Principal Thermal Systems Engineer; TS - R10230018

At Northrop Grumman, we offer a role for a Principal Thermal Systems Engineer / Sr. Principal Thermal Systems Engineer. The position is located in Redondo Beach, California, and requires Top Secret clearance.

Relocation assistance:
None.

Security clearance required at start:
Yes. Clearance type:
Top Secret.

Travel:
Yes, 10% of the time.

• Develop thermal‑systems requirements.
• Perform thermal analyses to create and optimize thermal‑control designs, delivering solutions to a wide range of challenging problems.
• Document thermal analyses and designs.
• Review and approve drawings for thermal‑design hardware content.
• Report analysis results and design details to internal management and external customers.
• Partner with test engineering to plan and execute subsystem‑level thermal tests and perform associated analyses.
• Provide feedback on the impact of potential cost and/or schedule changes.
• Work independently with minimal technical oversight and general direction.
• Coordinate with other engineering disciplines.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide guidance on best practices.

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 5+ years of engineering experience; or Master’s degree with 3+ years of experience; or Ph.D. with 1+ year of experience.
• Active Top Secret clearance at time of application and ability to obtain and maintain SCI access.
• Thermal design and/or analysis experience for spacecraft subsystems, payloads, and directed energy systems.
• Expertise in thermal testing, thermal requirements derivation and verification, and advanced thermal materials.

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of engineering experience; or Master’s degree with 6+ years of experience; or Ph.D. with 4+ years of experience.
• Active Top Secret clearance at time of application and ability to obtain and maintain SCI access.
• Thermal design and/or analysis experience for spacecraft subsystems, payloads, and directed energy systems.
• Expertise in thermal testing, thermal requirements derivation and verification, and advanced thermal materials.

• Design, analysis, and integration experience of spacecraft thermal systems.
• Experience using thermal analysis tools (SINDA/G, SINDA/FLUINT, TSS, Thermal Desktop).
• Experience using aerospace standard design tools (NX, CATIA).
• MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with 6 years of engineering experience.
• Experience with space vehicle thermal design and/or integration.
• Detail‑oriented with excellent verbal and written communication, leadership, and organization skills.
• Spacecraft and/or payload background with experience through the entire system lifecycle from concept to operation support.
• Experience working on thermal design and troubleshooting efforts.

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage.
• 401(k) plan.
• Educational assistance.
• Life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life solutions.
• Paid time off.
• Health and wellness resources.
• Employee discounts.
• Flexible schedules, e.g., a 9/80 work schedule.

Primary Level Salary Range: $ – $.

Secondary Level Salary Range: $ – $.

The salary range is a general guideline; base salary offers are determined by scope, responsibilities, experience, education, skills, and market conditions. Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, discretionary bonuses, and in certain positions long‑term incentives. Additional benefits include paid holidays and PTO.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate by race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For a complete EEO and pay transparency statement, visit  U.S. citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.