Summary written by USA Jobs 24 from Northrop Grumman's advert and our data on 16,857 current US jobs. How we check every job
At a glance
Northrop Grumman is hiring a Principal Optical Engineer - Manhattan Beach CA in Manhattan Beach, CA. It is a full-time role in Software & IT, first listed on November 13. The advertised pay is $125,300–$187,900 a year. The description mentions Agile and Six Sigma. Northrop Grumman has 149 other openings in the US, 4 of them in Manhattan Beach, CA. Across all employers on USA Jobs 24 there are 5 Software & IT openings in Manhattan Beach, CA today; the typical one asks for 8 years and advertises about $157,000 a year at the midpoint.
How the pay compares
Northrop Grumman advertises $125,300 to $187,900 a year, a midpoint of $156,600 a year. Where an offer lands in a range usually depends on experience and on the exact location. That is lower than about 84% of the 1,279 software & IT jobs in California that publish a yearly rate on USA Jobs 24, where the typical midpoint is $213,000 a year. To see roughly what this leaves after federal and California tax, try our take-home pay calculator.
Skills in this advert
How often each skill named in this advert appears across the 4,401 software & IT jobs we list today. Agile is the most widely requested (12% of jobs), while Six Sigma is the least common (2%). Widely requested skills are what employers expect as a baseline; rarer ones show what is special about this job.
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Before you apply
- Check it is still open. We found this job on Northrop Grumman's Workday site on November 13 and checked it again November 13, 5:17 AM ET. When an employer takes a job down, we remove it at our next daily update.
- Check the location works for you. This role is based in Manhattan Beach, CA. If you would need to move, ask whether relocation help is offered.
- Tailor your resume. Use the advert's own words, such as Agile and Six Sigma, wherever they are true for you. Our resume guide shows how.
- Know your number. Decide the lowest offer you would accept before the first call. Our salary negotiation guide explains how to ask for more.
- Apply only through Northrop Grumman's own site. Our Apply button goes straight to Northrop Grumman's Workday page. If anyone contacts you about this job and asks for money, gift cards or bank details, stop and check it with our scam checker. Read how to spot a fake job offer.
About hiring at Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman has 150 openings on USA Jobs 24 today across 20 states. Most are in software & IT (72), operations (20) and engineering & mfg (9). The biggest locations are Palmdale, CA (16), Roy, UT (12) and San Diego, CA (11). 2% of them are remote, 7% are open to entry-level candidates and 98% show pay. We collect Northrop Grumman's jobs every day straight from its own careers system (Workday), never from job boards or agencies.
The employer's advert
This is Northrop Grumman's own description of the job, copied word for word from its careers site. We have not edited it.
Show the full advert from Northrop GrummanHide the advert719 words
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 is a space pioneer, supporting government, civil and commercial customers in solving their biggest challenges. Our forward-leaning, innovative spirit is backed by a legacy of expertise that began at the dawn of the space age. Our mission experience in space runs deep, we know our customers well, and our capabilities are unmatched. This is what allows us to provide reliable, agile and affordable space solutions to best serve our customers.
From defending freedom to advancing human discovery, we are defining what is possible in space every day.
Entry Level opportunities at Northrop Grumman are unique. Are you interested in boosting your knowledge through experience and exposure, while supporting a mission that seeks to protect our nation and its allies? If so, then Northrop Grumman is the place you!
Our professionals live and breathe different perspectives; we are curious about the world, accepting each other, and aware that the more ideas, backgrounds, opinions and experiences we bring to our work, the stronger that work will be. Just as you would invest your time and hard work into our company, we focus on investing back into you through enriching professional experiences and high-quality learning and development opportunities. We want you to bring your whole self to work, and for you to have meaningful connections with your coworkers, customers and communities, while providing the best products, systems and technologies to protect our world.
Northrop Grumman is seeking Principal Optical Engineers. This position will be located at our Space sector in Manhattan Beach, CA.
The qualified candidate will become part of Northrop Grumman’s Lasers & Sensors department, within the Electronics & Payloads group. This team provides Optical Engineering to address the generation, transmission and receipt of optical signals and energy for EO / IR sensors, optical communications terminals, laser & beam control systems, photonics and other optical mission solutions..
Roles and Responsibilities
Designs, models, analyzes, and tests optical and electro-optical systems and components, including sensors, lasers, fiber-optics, and telecommunications products. Conducts research and development into phases of physical optics and geometric optics, lasers, laser characteristics, laser maintenance, and broadband optical sources. Applies research of complex optical systems to achieve desired optical manipulations. Develops component specifications, tolerances, simulations and tests procedures for electro-optical systems and components. Uses design-to-cost models, six sigma methodology, and other methods to assure optical design requirements met.
Basic Qualifications:
- Be completing or has completed their Doctorate (PhD) degree from an accredited institution
- Be majoring in or having majored in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) degree
- Be able to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite)
- The ability to obtain Special Access Program within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs
Preferred Qualifications:
• Have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.0 or higher
Salary Range:
- $125,300 - $187,900
USA Jobs 24 copied this listing from Northrop Grumman's official careers site on November 13, 2026 and checked it again November 13, 5:17 AM ET. Northrop Grumman will never ask you to pay to apply or to buy equipment with a check they send you. If anyone does, it is a scam.
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