Cyber Systems Engineer - Level 3

Northrop Grumman

Last Updated: 1/9/2026 6:55:18 AM

Position Closed

Live Market Data for this Exact Role

These metrics reveal the true, unfiltered history of this specific position. We track the exact number of days the requisition has been active and monitor real salary range fluctuations over time, helping you verify compensation trends before applying.

Current Days Open
3
Reqs Seen
2
Current Min Salary
$119,600.00 (Yearly)
Current Max Salary
$119,600.00 (Yearly)
Historical Time to Fill
32
First Seen
1/7/2026
Lowest Min Salary Seen
$119,600.00 (Yearly)
8/11/2026
Highest Max Salary Seen
$119,600.00 (Yearly)
8/11/2026

Full Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available CLEARANCE TYPE: 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. Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Multi-Domain Operations, and Missile Defense Integration Business Unit (BU) has an exciting career opportunity for a Principal Cyber Systems Engineer Level 3 to join our team of qualified, diverse, and innovative individuals located in Huntsville, AL. Position Overview: The selected Cyber Systems Engineer - Level 3 responsibilities will include the support of the Ground Weapons System (GWS) program as an individual contributor on the Program Protection team. This role is responsible for cybersecurity subject matter expertise in the design and development of the GWS capability on behalf of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). In this role you will ensure system security requirements are met by enforcing security considerations throughout the system security engineering (SSE) lifecycle. You will interface directly with engineering stakeholders to ensure security controls, compliance, and vulnerability mitigations are up to cybersecurity system engineering standards. Essential Functions: Design, plan, implement, and perform assessment of security controls, polices, and processes compliance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-53, CNSSI 1253, and DoD RMF Knowledge Service guidance. Review and assess system security requirements and associated verification methods per RMF standards. Provide implementation guidance and oversight to technical teams/implementer. Coordinate and communicate with software engineering stakeholders and cybersecurity system engineers to ensure program security controls are met or scheduled to be worked off. Assist with the design and development of system security architectures. Provide advanced technical analyses of cyber infrastructure challenges and problems; develop/identify technical solutions responsive to customer needs. Participate in team reviews of policy and technical security requirements throughout system lifecycle Assist with ensuring the product requirements integrate into the total systems solutions that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints. Present solutions to customers and senior management using tailored material based on the audience. Serve as a Cybersecurity System Engineer supporting high-level technical and practical expertise. Will work independently in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative teams comprised of all experience levels. Wil develop and implement a security baseline and communicate their significance and relevancy in a clear, detailed manner. Basic Qualifications: Bachelors Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline from an accredited university and 5 years of related Cyber Systems Engineering experience, or a Master's Degree in STEM and 3 years of related experience, or 1 year of related experience with a PhD. Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% of the time to support business needs Applicants must have a current active in-scope U.S. Government DoD issued Secret security clearance at the time of application which is required to start. Experience with Risk Management Framework (RMF) assessments and implementations Experience with Cyber Resiliency, Software Assurance, Attack Surface Analysis, Threat Assessment, Operations Security Plans, Defensive Cyberspace Operations, IT/Cybersecurity Strategies, Enterprise Architecture frameworks (e.g. DoDAF), and related documentation IAW DoDI 8500.01, DoDI 8510.01, and NIST SP 800-53 Must currently possess DoD 8140/8570 certification (e.g. Security+ CE). Experience working on a large-scale missile defense system program(s). Applicants must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. Applicants must demonstrate ability to think critically and capture concepts in work products, presentations, and discussions. Must be capable of working both independently and within a team environment. Experience with Agile software development methodologies, object-oriented architecture, software integration and testing. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Weapon System (GWS) program Previous leadership experience. Experience with System Security Engineering solution development IAW NIST SP 800-128, NIST SP 800-160, and NIST SP 800-171. Ground-system security architecture experience. Experience with Control Validation Tests (CVTs) and similar cyber assessments. Full life cycle design, implementation, and feature/automated testing of software. Experience with full-stack software engineering and test automation capabilities The ability to learn new technologies quickly and independently solve problems in a fast-paced environment. Certification at or exceeding IASAE level 1 (CISSP or CASP minimum and CISSP-ISSEP for Level III). Experience working with Nessus Vulnerability Scanner and Synopsis Blackduck Binary Analyzer. Experience working with static and dynamic code analysis. Experience with Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service (eMASS). Primary Level Salary Range: $119,600.00 - $179,400.00 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. Existing Applicants: Need to update your contact information or email address? Once logged in, click on Candidate Home in the upper right corner and scroll to the bottom of that screen to see buttons for: Update Contact information to update your legal name, address, and phone number Edit Account Settings to edit your email address We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.

Similarity vs. Compensation Matrix

How to read this chart:

This interactive scatter plot benchmarks the compensation for this position against the broader market. The vertical Golden Line represents the midpoint salary for the current requisition, while the Blue Dots map competing open roles based on their semantic match and pay scale.

Click any dot to investigate a competitor. For the best leverage, target roles in the top-right quadrant—these are highly relevant positions offering above-average compensation.

Lower Match, Higher Pay Higher Match, Higher Pay
Lower Match, Lower Pay Higher Match, Lower Pay

Similar Open Roles & Salary Benchmarks

Don't limit your search to a single application. Below is a curated list of active openings across the market. To ensure high-quality leads, we enforce a strict 70% similarity threshold—meaning these aren't just superficial keyword matches, but genuinely viable career alternatives. Use these competing benchmarks to confidently negotiate your salary expectations or apply directly to higher-paying offers.