Space Systems Engineer - Space Superiority

Position: Staff Space Systems Engineer - Space Superiority
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START:
Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE:
Top Secret TRAVEL:
Yes, 10% of the Time Description At  Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon.

We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems in Dulles, Virginia, is seeking an experienced Space Systems Engineer to join the rapidly growing Space Superiority Division. Space is no longer a sanctuary— it is increasingly contested and operationally complex, and the need for resilient, responsive spacecraft and mission capabilities has never been greater. This is a chance to apply your space expertise to some of the most consequential technical challenges in the domain and to see your work fly.

You’ll join a cross-disciplinary team that develops, integrates, tests, and delivers advanced spacecraft and mission systems for space security missions. The ideal candidate will bring substantial experience or demonstrated technical depth in spacecraft engineering, space mission design, mission analysis, or mission operations and apply that expertise to missions involving rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). RPO is routine work for this team, backed by hands-on operational experience and a proven on-orbit track record.

Northrop Grumman leads the industry in this capability, and joining this team means working alongside the people who helped make that true.

As a Space Systems Engineer, you’ll help shape the spacecraft and mission across the full lifecycle—from mission architecture and concept development through detailed analysis, integration, test, launch, and on-orbit execution. You’ll solve challenging problems involving spacecraft performance, mission design, on-orbit operations, and system integration while helping deliver resilient capabilities for demanding and dynamic operational environments.

Primary responsibilities may include:

Developing and evaluating spacecraft and mission architectures, concepts of operations (CONOPS), design reference missions, and operational scenarios.

Performing mission-level analyses and technical trade studies.

Assessing spacecraft day-in-the-life operations and developing mission sequences for launch, commissioning, on-orbit operations, RPO, and contingency scenarios.

Collaborating across spacecraft, payload, guidance, navigation and control (GNC), software, communications, ground, and mission-operations teams to develop an integrated spacecraft and mission solution.

Working with mission partners to model and mature mission elements, operational concepts, interfaces, and execution plans.

Supporting the development of new spacecraft and modification of existing spacecraft to enable an accelerated path from mission concept to launch and on-orbit operations.

Developing analysis, modeling, and automation tools to evaluate mission concepts, operational scenarios, design alternatives, and spacecraft performance.

Developing and managing mission, system, and subsystem requirements, including decomposition, allocation, traceability,…