Senior Staff Chief Architect

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Huntsville
Posted on: April 3, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes 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’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) Hardware & Services organization is seeking a Sr Staff Chief Architect to serve as the responsible engineering authority for system architectural design in support of our U.S. Army warfighters. IBCS is the U.S. Army’s premier command-and-control network for modern air and missile defense. It enables "any sensor, best effector" operations by integrating diverse radars and weapon systems into a single, scalable, open-architecture network to defeat advanced multi-domain threats. In the current phase of the program, the Chief Architect will collaborate with the customer and internal stakeholders to guide the future capabilities roadmap and solution next-generation IBCS architectures. In this role, the Chief Architect will have the unique opportunity to Define Possible and thereby revolutionize how U.S. and Allied Forces integrate across all domains, and push the boundaries of advanced warfighter capabilities. The ideal candidate must have experience leading large-scale, multi-disciplinary engineering teams in the development of defense systems, with a focus on delivering innovative, mission-critical solutions . As Chief Architect, the candidate is expected to provide scientific, technical, intellectual leadership, as well as analytical support contributing to the advancement of sector growth goals and engineering excellence. The candidate must also have a strong grasp of campaign execution and possess the skills, drive, and communication acumen to successfully interface with senior leaders/technologists across the company and the customer community to provide technical expertise and guidance. The Chief Architect must understand defense regulations and compliance requirements, including ITAR, DFARS, and cybersecurity mandates. Key Responsibilities: Sets and drives strategy and technical solutions for initiatives on the program Provides consultation and independent review leadership as a senior technical lead and subject matter architectural expert in engineering. Engages with the government customers and internal stakeholders to define the architectural roadmap and disruptive technical solutions . Leverage agile methodology to accelerate innovation, enabling rapid prototype design and test Champion technical opportunities with a winning spirit Drives adoption of new technologies and leads technical teams in adopting technologies to benefit execution. Drives innovation by staying up to date on emerging technologies, methodologies, and trends in defense engineering to share with program teams. Champion the adoption of digital engineering and enterprise solutions to enhance program outcomes. Serve as a mentor to junior and mid-level chief architects and perform knowledge transfer, helping to grow and strengthen engineering execution on the program. Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 14 years of engineering experience OR Master's Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 12 years of engineering experience 3 - years of experience in a senior technical leadership defining, evolving, and maintaining end?to?end system architectures and ensuring alignment with Key Performance Parameters (KPPs), cost, schedule, and risk. 3 – years of experience using MBSE tools (e.g. Cameo, MagicDraw, NGIDE) to create models that drive requirements traceability, verification, and configuration control. 2 – years of experience leading architectural reviews and executing model?driven processes across Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). 4 – years of experience interfacing with senior government customers, internal senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders conveying complex technical content to non-technical audiences. General experience and knowledge of SAFe Agile and SecDevOps SW development processes. Active Secret clearance Preferred Qualifications: Master’s or Ph.D. in engineering, systems engineering, or a related technical field. 4 – years of experience as a Chief Architect performing model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering practices related to the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Command System (IBCS) or large-scale defense platforms such as aircraft, naval vessels, ground vehicles, or missile systems. 4 - years of experience with the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) or comparable command?and?control architectures. 3- years of experience mentoring junior and mid?level architects, performing knowledge transfer and driving cultural change toward engineering excellence. 2 – years of experience authoring technical papers, patents, or conference presentations on systems architecture, digital engineering, or defense C2 technologies. Active Top-Secret clearance Primary Level Salary Range: $184,100.00 - $276,100.00 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.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Huntsville , Senior Staff Chief Architect, IT / Software / Systems , Huntsville, Alabama