Space Vehicle Test Conductor - Principal Or Sr. Principal Engineer Systems

Test Conductor Position at Northrop Grumman

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.

We are at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and innovation in space-based systems. We are seeking a Test Conductor to support Space Vehicle Assembly, Integration and Test (SV AI&T) with a Space RADAR Payload for a Prototype and Production program. The successful candidate will interface with SV AI&T Leadership, Payload I&T, multiple engineering disciplines, including hardware electrical and mechanical, software, firmware, and system engineering, and technicians. In addition, the applicant must be able to lead test bench operations, and record and report progress. This person will clearly demonstrate strong leadership skills and will have a track record as an effective communicator and problem solver who is able to develop and maintain good working relationships with all stakeholders. In addition, this person will help ensure the pedigree of the product delivered is acceptable for space and proper documentation and team workplace habits are in place to support it. And they will have the ability to operate in a team environment and collaborate with the Payload I&T team and the sister Production Program to leverage lessons learned. This position is on-site in Linthicum, MD, initially through 2026 for the Prototype, and will transition to nearby Elkridge, MD for Production.

Responsibilities include:

• Test Conductor for one of three daily shifts
• Near term training by running test scripts on Payload and Bus Simulators on "day" shift (9 AM - 5 PM) initially, ramping up to 3 shifts in the summer of 2026
• Troubleshooting test scripts
• Understand data output, analysis, and archiving
• Review requirements and generate validation artifacts
• Longer term focus on automation of results and Systems Engineering (SE) deliverables
• This position would be focused on requirement verification and test reporting

This position can be staffed at the Principal or Sr. Principal level based on the basic qualifications below.

Basic Qualifications:

• Principal Engineer: Bachelor of Science degree in STEM curriculum with 5 years relevant experience; 3 years with MS degree
• Sr. Principal Engineer: Bachelor of Science degree in STEM curriculum with 8 years relevant experience; 6 years with MS degree
• Willingness to work shifts: 5 AM – 1 PM for 1st shift; 1 PM – 9 PM for 2nd; and 9 PM to 5 AM for 3rd; and to rotate shifts periodically as needed by the team and/or the program; and to work some weekends as needed, e.g., for the summer 2026 campaign
• Test script editing in Tcl, Python, MATLAB, etc.
• Test execution experience
• Performance analysis and trending in MATLAB
• Space System I&T experience
• United States Citizenship is required
• No clearance required to start, but must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government DoD Top Secret security clearance and SCI approval/access

Preferred Qualifications:

• BS or MS in Engineering, especially Electrical Engineering
• Experience with Software I&T, especially for satellites
• Space Vehicle I&T
• ESA (Electronically Scanned Array) I&T
• RADAR I&T
• Space Payload I&T
• Active TS clearance with SCI approval/access

Primary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $163,200.00 Secondary Level Salary Range: $135,800.00 - $203,600.00 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.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.