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# Staff Engineer Systems - Engineering Reachback

- **Company:** Northrop Grumman
- **Location:** San Diego, CA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $177,000.0 - $265,600.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Systems Engineering, SAP (Applications)
- **Published:** October 26, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.beyondsandiego.com/job.asp?id=3467071888&tx=JT10395UTD&pt=1&aff=0B19D771-A501-4A5E-8338-2A822B784D54&utm_source=Job%20Feed&utm_medium=textkernel&utm_campaign=DE&utm_term=0B19D771-A501-4A5E-8338-2A822B784D54

## About the Role

* Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline with 12 years of relevant military/professional experience; OR Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline with 10 years of relevant military/professional experience; OR PhD with 8 years of relevant military/professional experience.
 * Must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret Clearance or higher (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
 * Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
 * Experience leading cross functional technical teams of 10 or more individuals.
 * Experience with project/program management practices, including:
 * Control Account Management (CAM) and Earned Value Management (EVM)
 * Risks-Issues-Opportunities (RIO) management
 * Project planning, scheduling, staffing, and coordination of technical work.

Preferred Qualifications

 * Current, applicable SAP/SAR access.
 * Experience working with external and geographically distributed teams to meet program objectives.
 * Demonstrated ability to operate across multiple organizations, build alignment, and make timely decisions.
 * Proven use of metrics to track performance to plan and manage recovery where needed.
 * Experience leading multiple teams through technically complex, integrated deliveries (e.g., test events, major reviews, or system-level integrations).

## Description

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Staff Systems Engineer (level 5) to serve as the Reachback Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead within the Systems Engineering organization in Palmdale, CA . The selected candidate will lead a cross functional engineering team providing technical reachback support to the Test organization, ensuring alignment of engineering products with test objectives, schedule, and cost., * Serve as Reachback IPT Lead and primary interface between the Test team and engineering functional organizations.

 * Own budget, scope, and schedule for the IPT's engineering work; apply CAM/EVM practices to manage performance.
 * Act as technical authority for test related objectives within your scope, ensuring technical accuracy and compliance with program and regulatory requirements.
 * Coordinate, prioritize, and track engineering reachback requests to provide timely resolution of technical issues and troubleshooting needs.
 * Lead the IPT through changes to requirements, test plans, and procedures; assess impacts to cost, schedule, and technical performance and drive approval and documentation.
 * Maintain regular communication with Test, Engineering Homeroom Organization, and other stakeholders; prepare concise updates, reports, and briefings for program reviews and technical interchange meetings.
 * Use metrics to monitor IPT performance, demonstrate progress to commitments, and define/recover to plans when needed.
 * Provide day to day leadership to a cross functional team of 10+ engineers, fostering collaboration, accountability, and high performance.
 * This is a full time, on site position; no remote, hybrid, or telework is available. Up to 10% travel may be required.