Principal OR Senior Principal Electronics Engineer – Network Engineer

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: San Diego
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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 Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Principal OR Senior Principal Electronics Engineer – Network Engineer to our team in Rancho Bernardo, CA. The candidate should be familiar with working in an Integrated Product Team construct. Roles and Responsibilities will include: Conducting thorough trade studies and analyses to weigh the benefits and/or detriments related to networking associated with a new development effort Addressing and correcting deliverable subsystem performance concerns via program identified tools/systems Identifying opportunities for deliverable system improvement and working with engineering teams to implement in accordance with approved program process Reporting networking subsystem status to programmatic and technical team leadership and identifying risks/issues/concerns in order to prevent increased cost or schedule loss Providing direct user support, engineering expertise, and troubleshooting during test events The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position . Travel up to 25% may be required. This position may be filled at either the Principal Electronics Engineer – Network Engineer level or the Senior Principal Electronics Engineer – Network Engineer level, depending upon the qualifications below. Basic Qualifications for Principal Electronics Engineer – Network Engineer: Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a relevant STEM discipline and 3 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a relevant STEM discipline and 1 year of related engineering experience. Active DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification . Examples include: CCNA Security, Securityce, CCNP, and CISSP. Expertise with IP subnetting Experience with or understanding of TCP/IP, routing protocols (RIP, OSPF, BGP), and other networking concepts Experience with or understanding of network automation scripting using Ansible, Python, Bash, and Shell. Knowledge of or experience with network security features like IP access-lists Experience with network design and/or data center architecture. Experience with network firewalls such as Cisco ASA, Cisco Firepower, and/or Palo Alto Networks. Experience with troubleshooting complex networking issues Familiarity with network management protocols like SNMP, SSH, syslog, RADIUS/TACACS. Active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance OR active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation). Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Program Access (SAP/PAR). This SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs. Basic Qualifications for Senior Principal Electronics Engineer – Network Engineer: Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a relevant STEM discipline and 6 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a relevant STEM discipline and 4 years of related engineering experience. Active DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification . Examples include: CCNA Security, Securityce, CCNP, and CISSP. Expertise with IP subnetting Experience with or understanding of TCP/IP, routing protocols (RIP, OSPF, BGP), and other networking concepts Experience with or understanding of network automation scripting using Ansible, Python, Bash, and Shell. Knowledge of or experience with network security features like IP access-lists Experience with network design and/or data center architecture. Experience with network firewalls such as Cisco ASA, Cisco Firepower, and/or Palo Alto Networks. Experience with troubleshooting complex networking issues Familiarity with network management protocols like SNMP, SSH, syslog, RADIUS/TACACS. Active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance OR active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation). Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Program Access (SAP/PAR). This SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs. Preferred Qualifications for both levels: Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or related technical discipline Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance A professional certification specific to the networking industry such as CCNA, CCNP, CCNP Data Center, CCIE, or equivalent Experience with Cisco technologies like Nexus switches, ACI Fabrics, and/or Catalyst switches Knowledge of virtualization technologies like VMware and their associated networking solutions (e.g. NSX) Understanding of advanced features like GRE, IPSEC, DMVPN, MPLS, QoS, and/or Multicast Experience with Cisco Unified Communications / VoIP Familiar with network management applications, like SolarWinds, SuzieQ, Splunk, and/or Cisco ISE Familiarity with Windows, Linux, and VMWare configuration and troubleshooting Experience with HAIPE/TACLANE encryptors and other military COMSEC/CRYPTO equipment and procedures Familiarity with network emulator tools such as EVE-NG, GNS3, Cisco Modeling Lab (CML), and/or Virtual Internet Routing Lab (VIRL) Working knowledge of DISA security STIGs and maintaining security best practices Experience with tools like Jira, Bitbucket, Gitlab, and/or GitHub Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00 Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00 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. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Santa Ana , Principal OR Senior Principal Electronics Engineer – Network Engineer, IT / Software / Systems , San Diego, California