Principal Investigator Level 5
Northrop GrummanDescription
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 Multi-Domain Operations, a division within Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems Sector is known for pushing the boundaries of innovation, redefining engineering capabilities, and driving advances in various sciences through cutting-edge technology. Our team is chartered by providing the skills, and innovative technologies to develop, design, produce, and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter.
In this role, the ideal candidate will possess a strong foundational knowledge in software design, emphasizing data ontology, data‑fusion techniques, multi‑processor architectures, mission‑workflow integration, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The candidate will lead the evaluation and development of these capabilities, leveraging existing technologies, augmenting them with new code, or creating novel solutions as needed. Acting as Principal Investigator, the individual will guide a diverse, multi‑disciplinary team across several specialties and will collaborate closely with other NG sectors, divisions, and business units/operating units. This Operating Unit seeks leadership to both enhance current capabilities and identify opportunities to expand beyond the existing customer base. This challenging position requires a self‑starter with a clear vision for translating research into mission‑ready products, the ability to decompose ambiguous customer requests into actionable development stories, and the skill to motivate and prioritize work for a large agile team supporting multiple products while balancing internal and external stakeholder demands.
Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Principal Investigator (Level 5) to perform as a lead in supporting the Mission Exploitation Business Unit (BU). This position would be based in Aurora, CO.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Identifying key technologies that can lead to innovation. Great communications skills that include being able to explain a highly technical concept to stakeholders without a technical background. Decomposition of requirements centered around existing and upcoming technologies to ensure that customer needs are being achieved. Acting as a liaison between multiple different cross-functional teams and key leadership throughout the division. Research new technologies and develop them to create a mission ready product.
Basic Requirements:
(Level 5): Bachelor’s degree in Science with 12+ years of relevant experience; Master's degree in Science with 10+ years of relevant experience; 4 additional years of relative experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
Active Secret clearance required at time of application.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance after starting.
Understanding of sensor modalities (radar, lidar, EO/IR, acoustic, GNSS, etc.) and their performance characteristics.
Experience building pipelines that ingest, time‑synchronize, and fuse data from multiple sources.
Proficient in at least one compiled language (C, C++).
Hands‑on experience with fusion algorithms (e.g., Kalman, particle filters, Bayesian networks, deep sensor‑fusion models) and the ability to evaluate/extend existing engines.
Full‑cycle experience requirements: analysis, architecture, implementation, verification, validation, and sustainment.
Preferred Requirements:
Demonstrated success leading diverse, cross‑functional teams
Active Top-Secret clearance with SCI eligibility
Track record of defining research directions, publishing or patenting novel approaches, and translating research into mission‑ready products.
Experience with Linux
Experience with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)