11d ago
USD 114000-171000/yr

Thermal Systems Engineer - Level 3 or 4 (Active TS or SCI)

United States-California-Redondo Beachmid
Systems EngineerInfrastructure & Cloud
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Quick Summary

Key Responsibilities

Develop thermal‑systems

Technical Tools
Systems EngineerInfrastructure & Cloud
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

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 Space Sector has an opening for a Thermal Systems Engineer (Level 3 or 4) to join the Vehicle Engineering Directorate within Western Region Engineering. This position is located onsite in Redondo Beach, California.


The Thermal, Propulsion & Cryocooler Systems (TPCS) department, part of the Western Region Vehicle Engineering organization, is comprised of approximately 75 highly skilled professionals, ranging from early-career engineers to senior chief engineers and leadership. Supporting numerous programs, the department offers abundant opportunities for career advancement into higher-level technical roles or leadership positions. Our culture emphasizes cross-program collaboration, continuous professional growth, and a strong sense of community.
 

The ideal candidate will possess a comprehensive understanding of thermal‑engineering principles, theories, and concepts, and will be familiar with related engineering disciplines.
 

Responsibilities

~1 min read
  • →Develop thermal‑systems requirements.
  • →Perform thermal analyses to create and optimize thermal‑control designs, delivering solutions to a wide range of challenging problems.
  • →Document thermal analyses and designs.
  • →Review and approve drawings for thermal‑design hardware content.
  • →Report analysis results and design details to internal management and external customers.
  • →Partner with test engineering to plan and execute subsystem‑level thermal tests and perform associated analyses.
  • →Provide feedback on the impact of potential cost and/or schedule changes.
  • →Work independently with minimal technical oversight and general direction.
  • →Coordinate with other engineering disciplines.
  • →Mentor early career engineers and provide guidance on best practices.

This requisition may be filled at either Thermal Systems Engineer (Level 3) or Thermal Systems Engineer (Level 4) based on the qualifications listed below.

Requirements

~3 min read
  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) discipline with 5+ years of engineering experience; or Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 3+ years of engineering experience; or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 1+ years of engineering experience.
  • Must possess an active Top Secret clearance or SCI access at time of application.
  • Thermal design and/or analysis experience for spacecraft subsystems, payloads and directed energy systems.
  • Demonstrated expertise in thermal testing, thermal requirements derivation and verification, and advanced thermal materials.
     
  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) discipline with 8+ years of engineering experience; or Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 6+ years of engineering experience; or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 4+ years of engineering experience.
  • Must possess an active Top Secret clearance or SCI access at time of application.
  • Thermal design and/or analysis experience for spacecraft subsystems, payloads and directed energy systems.
  • Demonstrated expertise in thermal testing, thermal requirements derivation and verification, and advanced thermal materials.
     
  • Design, analysis and integration experience of spacecraft thermal systems
  • Experience using thermal analysis tools (SINDA/G, SINDA/FLUINT, TSS, Thermal Desktop)
  • Experience using aerospace standard design tools (NX, CATIA)
  • MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with 6 years of engineering experience
  • Experience with space vehicle thermal design and/or integration
  • Detail-oriented and have excellent verbal and written communications skills, leadership skills, and organization skills
  • Spacecraft and/or Payload background with experience through the entire system lifecycle from concept, design, production, integration, test, launch, to operation support.  
  • Experience working on thermal design and troubleshooting efforts. 

Northrop Grumman offers a competitive and robust benefits program. As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for:

Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
401k
Educational Assistance
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions 
Paid-Time off 
Health & Wellness Resources 
Employee Discounts
Flexible Schedules:  For example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work

For more details, please view Northrop Grumman Benefits.


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#LI-DB1

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#SPEnhancedERAP

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.

Location & Eligibility

Where is the job
United States-California-Redondo Beach
On-site at the office
Who can apply
Same as job location

About this job

Pay per year
$114,000–$171,000 a year
11% below the $160,100 median for Systems Engineer jobs on Jobera (874 salaries).
Posted
11 days ago
Employer
has 4,425 open jobs on Jobera.

Listing Details

Posted
October 5, 2026
First seen
October 5, 2026
Last seen
October 16, 2026

Posting Health

Days active
10
Repost count
0
Trust Level
31%
Scored at
October 16, 2026

Signal breakdown

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Thermal Systems Engineer - Level 3 or 4 (Active TS or SCI)USD 114000-171000