Sr Principal Electrical Engineer – C&DH at Northrop Grumman in United States-Arizona-Gilbert

Job description

• Northrop Grumman is seeking a highly experienced and technically authoritative Electrical Engineer to lead the architecture, design, and implementation of Command and Data Handling (C&DH) systems for advanced spacecraft platforms. You will be responsible for the Electrical System design, architecture, and the required avionics that control the spacecraft's functions, manage data flows, both internal and with external systems, storing data, receive commands and transmits data to ground station(s) or other satellites. This role operates at the senior principal level and is responsible for driving system-level electrical design across flight hardware, ensuring robust, reliable, and scalable data and control architectures.
• This individual will serve as a key technical leader, influencing cross-disciplinary teams spanning avionics, software, guidance/navigation/control (GNC), and mission operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end architecture of spacecraft Command & Data Handling systems, including data buses, processing units, and system interfaces.
• Define and own electrical system architecture, ensuring alignment across C&DH, electrical subsystems, and harness design
• Flight computers and embedded processing systems
• Data buses (e.g., SpaceWire, CAN, Ethernet, RS-422/485)
• Telemetry, command, and fault management systems
• Establish and maintain system-level requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), and verification strategies
• Oversee hardware/software integration, ensuring seamless interaction between flight software and electrical systems
• Perform electrical interface compatibility verifications and verify electrical connectivity implementation (e.g. verify electrical harness implementation, safety-critical circuit segregation, support peer-reviews).
• Guide and review harness architecture and implementation, ensuring reliability, manufacturability, and maintainability
• Lead design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.) and support mission readiness activities
• Mentor junior engineers and act as a technical authority across multiple programs
• Manage hardware command and telemetry implementation (e.g. develop and coordinate calibration and conversion curves for analog telemetry in coordination subsystem engineers, verify electrical/software implementation).
• Identify Electrical Systems and C&DH risks, develop risk mitigation plans for selected risks, and implement mitigations.
• Interfacing with design and manufacturing groups to monitor component production process/progress to include Integration & Test (I&T) and relaying that status to management along with potential solutions to stay on target.
• Provide technical oversight to ensure the C&DH electrical system is compliant and verifiable at the avionics digital and analog telemetry level.
• Lead the costing & scheduling development for the C&DH subsystem on major programs from initial RFP efforts through end of program life. Develop cost estimates for proposals and programs as required.
• Candidate must be comfortable with managing program execution from a technical perspective, meeting deadlines, working on multiple projects concurrently, and working with various engineering disciplines and internal/external customers as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a STEM area (preferably Electrical Engineering) and 8 Years of related experience; 6 Years related experience with Masters; 4 Years of related experience with PhD.
• Technical experience in Electrical Systems or C&DH subsystem Engineering
• Experience with flight hardware development, including Material Review Boards (MRB), Parts, Materials & Processes (PM&P), procurement, assembly documentation, and End Item Data Packages (EIDP)
• Ability to obtain a TS Clearance with the ability to obtain SCI
• Hands-on mentality and a passion for fast-paced environments.
• Experience leading teams of engineers managing resources and schedules
• Experience with requirements tracking tool such as DOORS or CAMEO
• Digital design experience (MBSE)
• Experience developing FPGAs
• Strong verbal and written communications skills
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) and creating variance reports
• Active TS and/or SCI

Skills

Preferred

• Digital design experience (MBSE)
• Experience developing FPGAs

Benefits

• The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
• Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.