Senior Principal SATCOM Network Engineer - (Space/Satellite) Top Secret

$120,900 - $181,300/Yr

Northrop Grumman - Sterling, VA

Full-time - Mid Level

Sterling, VA

Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing

About the position

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 Tactical Space Systems Division is seeking a well-qualified SATCOM Network Engineer to join its dynamic team of technical professionals in Dulles, VA. The role involves deploying, testing, maintaining, and troubleshooting satellite ground stations, which includes local and remote-site field work. The position requires providing 24x7 on-call engineering support to operations and Level 1 technicians for failure investigation and resolution. The engineer will interface with the engineering development team to perform independent regression testing and formal validation of new system configurations and capabilities. Additionally, the role includes developing and maintaining a communications system test-bed and lab environment, identifying shortcomings and proposing practical solutions to improve the lab's functionality. The SATCOM Network Engineer will also provide hands-on training of satellite ground station equipment to users, write test procedures, conduct integration and test events for new users, review test results, and write test reports that include lessons learned during the test events. The ideal candidate should be well-organized, dependable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced team environment focused on satisfying the customer's mission. A self-starter with the ability to learn quickly, prioritize tasks, and work with minimal supervision is essential. The role may require working alone or in a small team in the field, and the candidate must be able to work at different elevations and lift a minimum of 40lbs. Occasional periods of shift work (evening or night) will be required.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, test, maintain, and troubleshoot satellite ground stations.
• Provide 24x7 on-call engineering support to operations and Level 1 technicians for failure investigation and resolution.
• Interface with engineering development team to perform independent regression testing and formal validation of new system configurations and capabilities.
• Develop and maintain a communications system test-bed and lab environment.
• Identify shortcomings and potential enhancements and propose practical solutions that improve the lab's functionality and utility to the development team.
• Provide hands-on, practical training of satellite ground station equipment to users.
• Write test procedures, conduct integration and test events for new users, review test results, and write test reports including lessons learned.

Requirements

• 9 Years with bachelor's in science; 7 Years with Masters. (In lieu of a degree, 5 years of military experience will be considered).
• At least 2 years' experience in the deployment, assembly, operation, maintenance, test, and troubleshooting of ground stations for satellite communications systems at the system level, subsystem level, and component level, including indoor and outdoor equipment.
• Experience in executing test and certification procedures.
• Experience with identifying and evaluating candidate vendors for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) satellite ground station components.
• Familiarity with RF and communications test equipment for performance measurement and troubleshooting (e.g., spectrum analyzer, multimeter, power meter, oscilloscope, etc.).
• Working knowledge of computer networks, especially Internet Protocol-based systems, and the network appliances that comprise them (e.g., routers, switches, etc.).
• Working knowledge of computer operating systems, particularly Windows and Linux, and their applications.
• Experience with the installation of rack-mounted hardware and cable routing, satellite reflector antennas and associated hardware, and the tools required for installing and maintaining this equipment.
• Ability to read & interpret all types of schematics and wiring diagrams.
• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Top Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with the ability to obtain and maintain SCI approval/access.

Nice-to-haves

• Military Satellite Communications and RF experience.
• Maintenance and Operations experience a plus.
• Computer or network industry certifications a plus.
• CCNA or Security + or Network + certification is a plus.
• I&T Engineering experience is a plus.
• Familiarization with hand tools (e.g., crescent wrench, socket set, torque wrenches, etc.).

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business