Chief Engineer - Level 6

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Aurora
Posted on: April 2, 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. The Space Superiority Division within the Northrop Grumman Space Systems pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission. Central Systems Engineering is looking for you to join us as Chief Engineer located in Aurora, CO. This role will serve as the definitive technical authority for all aspects of engineering on all program elements (systems engineering/hardware/software/support/test) and leads a multi-disciplined engineering team managing the technical performance of the program meeting cost and schedule requirements including subcontracted elements. Serve as the technical authority for the program, to include chairing the Technical Review Board or Deployment/Production, and providing oversight for requirements development, hardware/software design, verification, and validation activities. Ensures that the program is adhering to sound engineering processes in the development, production, test, and sustainment of products for our customers and is in compliance with company policies, procedures, and quality standards. Maintains cognizance over technical activities within program Mission and Product Areas and ensures horizontal integration of the best engineering practices. Ensures the execution of program statement of work. Regularly takes a leadership role in providing insight and knowledge transfer to others on internal and external technical solutions to solve complex problems. Demonstrated ability to formally present technical solutions to senior leadership. Be the technical liaison to the program manager and the technical point of contact to the customer. Support the program manager in risk and opportunity management by identifying and owning risks associated with system performance. Provides technical leadership, direction and mentoring to other technical employees in the application of systems engineering principles, tools, and techniques to achieve practical end results. Develops advanced technological ideas and guides their development into a final product that has a direct impact on the Program and Operating Unit. Basic Qualifications: Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) discipline and 14 years of experience; 12 years with master’s degree; 10 years with PhD Minimum of 8 years of experience formally leading engineering teams/and or organizations to achieve a common goal. Must have US Citizenship with an Active DOD Top Secret clearance with current TS/SCI at time of application Background AWS deployments, FEPs, IA, and complex interfaces. Understanding of nuances operating hardware at customer sites. Experience with real-time software development/deployment Must have familiarity with leading large technical proposals and the ability to lead the customer through reviews of technical performance. Strong collaboration skills with experience working across multiple internal divisions as well as with industry partners and customer community, with strong communication skills. Ability to motivate and guide teams and activities without having formal “ownership” of the staff supporting those activities. Clear understanding of Agile Practices and Methodology applied to engineering efforts Preferred Qualifications: Prior engineering experience within the US Space Industry Demonstrated background of successfully applying systems engineering principles to guide program technical design, development, and deployment of large-scale systems architectures. Ten or more years of experience developing Ground systems across multiple operating domains (space and tactical implementations) Experience integrating multiple engineering specialties and stakeholders across multiple Teams and Suppliers Experience leading design, production, and integration of complex systems Experience leading the performance of technical tasks on schedule, at cost and achieving all requirements as either a chief engineer or technical lead. Demonstrated effectiveness in achieving results through managing people and understanding and management of internal processes and customer/supplier relationships. Strong understanding and broad application of complex engineering systems (engineering standards, configuration management, material review board, process control, tooling, facilities, software, etc.) Ability to collaborate and achieve consensus when dealing with groups from diverse organizations and backgrounds. Demonstrated experience in making sound decisions in uncertain and difficult situations. Breadth of technical background (all domain physical, security, phenomenology) Primary Level Salary Range: $192,800.00 - $289,200.00 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.

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