Northrop Grumman (DoD SkillBridge) – Principal Experimental Physicist / Sr. Principal Experimental Physicist

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.

NG- Military Internship Program Description:  

As one of the largest global security companies in the world, Northrop Grumman is proud to help our nation’s military personnel make the transition to civilian careers. Approximately 1/4th of Northrop Grumman’s 90,000 employees self-identify as veterans, and more than 1,600 are reservists.

The Northrop Grumman Military Internship Program (NG-MIP) is an approved SkillBridge Program under Dept. of Defense Instruction 1322.29 .The NG-MIP program is an opportunity for transitioning service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through an individual internship during their last 6 months of service, for up to 180 days. The Northrop Grumman Military internship Program is open to all ranks and experience levels. SkillBridge participants are not eligible for compensation from Northrop Grumman, as they continue to receive military compensation and benefits as active-duty service members. 

Responsibilities for this internship position are:

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) has developed the Northrop Grumman – Military Internship Program (DoD SkillBridge) utilizing the DoDI guidance for SkillBridge.  During this program the service member will be on-site at his or her host company performing an individual internship in an entry to mid-level career type role. The service member will be on the job training supporting a work schedule equivalent to 40hrs per week. Outlined below are the Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes for the program. 

Goals – Provide transitioning service members fellowship-style job skills training during the last portion(s) of their military commitment. This program is specifically designed to offer internships that result in the potential to transition to a full-time opportunity as the conclusion of the training.  Interns will serve as a pipeline for high-speed, motivated military candidates into NGC.

Objectives - Service Members who complete the Intern program will be highly-trained, capable, future employees that align to the specific needs of the organization and are prepared to meet the NG mission “Defining Possible” on Day 1. This program provides a comprehensive internship experience including professional development, networking with leadership, and training specifically focused on NG leadership principles, company history, customer/stakeholder engagement, product and service overview, and core job responsibilities.

Outcome – Offer transitioning service member a rewarding opportunity to join the Northrop Grumman team.

DoD SkillBridge Eligibility: 

• Has served at least 180 days on active duty

• Is within 12 months of separation or retirement

• Will receive an honorable discharge

• Has taken any service TAPS/TGPS

• Has attended or participated in an ethics brief within the last 12 months

• Received Unit Commander (first O-4/Field Grade commander in chain of command) written authorization and approval to participate in DoD SkillBridge Program prior to start of internship.

Job Description:

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security.  Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter.  Come be a part of our mission!

We are looking for you to join our team as a Principal Experimental Physicist or Sr. Principal Experimental Physicist based out of McClellan, CA in the Sacramento area.

What You’ll get to Do:

As an Experimental Physicist, you'll utilize your robust coding background and be hands on with data acquisition and test automation software. You'll utilize Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in both Python and MATLAB to build software for a test environment and work with standard lab instrumentation such as RF/DC sources and arbitrary waveform generators. You'll gain an understanding of the underlying codebase to build software tools and optimize current procedures. You'll contribute to the development of algorithms, architecture, and analytical tools that contribute to automation software for a test lab.

In addition, you will get to:

• Interface between the test and software teams to understand software requirements and to prototype software, such as baseline tools, updating the existing framework, designing software architecture, and develop instrument drivers.

• Assist in the launching of tools developed by the software team, help troubleshoot test lab bugs, and address any other software related issues that arise during test operations.

• Maintain data acquisition codebase through building unit tests and peer reviewing pull requests.

• Prototype and improve test automation procedures, for example develop test modules that can collect metrics for a new design of experiment in an automated fashion.

What you need to be successful in the role:

• Interest in interfacing with the test teams to optimize test automation.

• Motivation to learn new technologies and technical skills.

• Ability to collaborate in a small group setting (4-7 people) as well as work independently.

This position may be filled as a Principal Experimental Physicist or Sr. Principal Experimental Physicist.

Basic Qualifications for Principal Experimental Physicist:

• PhD in experimental physics, electrical engineering, or a related field (or will complete by December 2023); Master's Degree and 3 years of relevant experience; Bachelor's Degree with 5 plus years of relevant experience.

• Experience with test lab software and electronics.

• Experience in developing and contributing to larger scale software projects.

• Proficiency writing code in MATLAB and Python in a version-controlled environment.

• US Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance per business requirements.

Basic Qualifications for Sr. Principal Experimental Physicist:

• PhD in experimental physics, electrical engineering, or a related field and 4 plus years' experience; Master's Degree and 7 years of relevant experience; Bachelor's Degree and 9 plus years' experience.

• Experience with test lab software and electronics.

• Experience in developing and contributing to larger scale software projects.

• Proficiency writing code in MATLAB and Python in a version-controlled environment.

• US Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance per business requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in experimental physics, electrical engineering, or related field.

• Knowledge of cryogenics physics, quantum information, and familiarity with COTS software packages such as Apache NiFi, QCoDeS, and MongoDB.

• Experience writing in a version-controlled, OOP-based codebase in Python or MATLAB for a large team with multiple contributors/users.

• Active TS/SCI clearance.

Salary Range: $126,600 USD - $190,000 USD

Salary Range 2: $157,000 USD - $235,400 USD

Employees may be eligible for 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 health and safety of our employees and their families is a top priority. The company encourages employees to remain up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. U.S. Northrop Grumman employees may be required, in the future, to be vaccinated or have an approved disability/medical or religious accommodation, pursuant to future court decisions and/or government action on the currently stayed federal contractor vaccine mandate under Executive Order 14042 https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/contractors/.

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.