Sr. Principal Systems Security Engineer

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Dulles
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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. Job Description: We are looking for an Experienced Cybersecurity Professional to join a Ground Integrated Product team (IPT) who will be focused on a complex ground segment cloud infrastructure and mission application software security in 100% Agile Development and Operational environment(s). The Senior Systems Security Engineer will maintain an enhanced focus on designing, implementing, and testing secure solutions for operational mission software applications and secure deployment and maintenance activities for operational ground systems. You will work closely with the integrated product teams to develop and decompose software security requirements, technical architectures, system designs and provide technical oversight to the organization. In addition, you will collaborate with the DevOps Engineering team to aid in implementation of secure infrastructure and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. Finally, you will be responsible for maintaining the security posture of a private cloud infrastructure. This role requires fluency in security architecture principles, requirements analysis & decomposition, stakeholder & customer engagement, creative solutioning, and strong technical leadership. Job Responsibilities: Working in an Agile engineering environment, where you will champion the system security architecture design, development, and/or implementation of secure systems. Continuously ensure systems are compliant with program security requirements Working in an Agile engineering environment, where you may assist in identifying, prioritizing, and/or guiding strategic oversight of software security requirements; to include triage of Static Code Analysis (SCA) tool findings (e.g. Fortify) and assist in prioritizing the findings as technical debt in the Software Development LifeCycle (SwDLC) backlog Advising internal and external program stakeholders on cybersecurity approaches for cloud systems, security-focused engineering trade studies, and other security best practices. Conducting security assessments of mission software applications to include code reviews, vulnerability assessments, and application security testing Lead efforts for identification, development, implementation of security tools and automation processes; to include Static and Dynamic Code Analysis, Software Dependency Scanning, Compliance and Vulnerability Scanning, Auditing & Event Monitoring Solutions (Splunk) Developing standard Risk Management Framework (RMF) artifacts, such as System Security Plan (SSP), Risk Assessment Report (RAR), Security Controls Traceability Matrix (SCTM), Plans of Action & Milestones (POA&Ms), and additional security policies and best practices for application and system security Experience in the system accreditation process to achieve Authority to Operate (ATO) and experience in conducting system security assessments outlined through the RMF process Ensuring systems are operated, maintained, and disposed of in accordance with security policies and procedures as outlined in the system security authorization package Leading system security presentations in support of major program milestone reviews (e.g. SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, PSR) Basic Qualifications: Education: Sr. Principal Cyber Systems Engineer Bachelor’s Degree (STEM) with 8 Years of relevant experience, Master’s Degree (STEM) with 6 years of relevant experience, or PhD (STEM) with 4 years of relevant experience Execution: Active Top Secret (TS) Security Clearance, SCI Eligible and U.S. Citizenship required Possess CISSP, CSSLP, CASP, CISM or equivalent certification Exposure to NIST 800-37 (Risk Management Framework), NIST 800-53 (Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems) and OWASP Top 10 (Web Application Security) security controls and the Systems Engineering requirements analysis, decomposition, and analysis process Experience in Application Security, Software Development, DevOps, Vulnerability Management and/or related field Experience with Cloud Security and Best Practices Strong understanding of Event Monitoring architectures, components, and deployment options. Experience building and maintaining an Event Monitoring solution (e.g. Splunk) in a cloud environment Demonstrated knowledge of Software Development Lifecycle (SwDLC), Systems Engineering Review Processes, and System/Software Accreditation Milestones Ability to translate complex security requirements into actionable guidance Proven leadership, communication, stakeholder & customer engagement skills Preferred Qualifications: Bachelors and/or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity or Information Systems Management 12 years of experience in the Defense Space Industry Experience and/or Certified in Earned Value Management (EVM) Experience with Embedded (C/C++), Scripting (Python) and Object-Oriented Programming languages (Java); previous development experience preferred Familiarity with Zero-Trust Security Principles and Implementation Approaches Primary Level Salary Range: $156,400.00 - $234,600.00 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. 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, Sterling , Sr. Principal Systems Security Engineer, IT / Software / Systems , Dulles, Virginia