Principal Engineer Jobs in Colorado Springs, CO
Principal Engineer jobs in Colorado Springs are concentrated in the defense and aerospace corridor along the north side of the city, particularly around the Briargate and Powers areas, as well as near the military installations that anchor much of the region's advanced engineering demand. Employers actively hiring include Northrop Grumman, Sanmina, and SAIC. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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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 is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer or Sr Principal Systems Engineer to join our team. This position can be staffed at a Principal or Sr Principal and will be based in Colorado Springs, CO.
What You’ll Get to Do In this role, you will provide Systems Engineering expertise within a radar, site activation, or compute Integrated Product Team (IPT).
Responsibilities include:
Developing, managing, analyzing, and maintaining system requirements, including decomposition and traceability from customer requirements and CONOPS to design-level requirements as part of an IPT focused.
Performing functional analysis and system trade studies across concept, design, fabrication, test, installation, operations, and maintenance.
Supporting development of clear, executable requirements, interface, and test/verification documentation.
Supporting integration, test, and verification activities and requirements verification.
Defining and tracking technical performance measurements (TPMs).
Preparing and supporting technical materials for major program reviews including SRR, SFR, PDR, CDR, SVR, and TRR, and other reviews as required.
Facilitating capture of technical content from subject matter experts to support CDRL development, technical baseline updates, and I&T consultation.
Interfacing with internal leadership and external customers to communicate technical briefings and program status.
Basic Qualifications:
Must have an active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope.
Principal: 5 Years with Bachelors in STEM, 3 Years with Masters STEM, or 1 Year with PhD
Sr Principal: 8 years with Bachelors in STEM, 6 years with Masters STEM, or 4 years with PhD
Experience with requirements decomposition and requirements management.
Experience working with cross-functional IPTs.
Experience across the Systems Engineering lifecycle for system development.
Experience with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence, etc.).
Experience with SharePoint.
Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project).
Experience with Agile software development (PI Planning, two-week sprints, story pointing, etc.).
Strong problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to plan and execute work both independently and in a collaborative environment
Demonstrated ability to organize and work in cross-functional teams with a customer-focused approach.
The ability and willingness to travel but on a minimal basis.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with technical writing for specifications and technical baseline documentation.
MBSE experience (Cameo).
Familiarity with PLM tools (Siemens, Windchill, Teamcenter).
Familiarity with scaled compute cluster development, hypervisors, and network engineering.
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Find Principal Engineer JobsPrincipal Engineer Job Market in Colorado Springs
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman34

- Sanmina5

- SAIC3

- AMERICAN SYSTEMS2

- MITRE1

Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware
- Manufacturing
- Aerospace & Defense
Principal Engineer Jobs in Colorado Springs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a principal engineer job in Colorado Springs?
Focus your search on the defense, aerospace, and cybersecurity sectors that dominate Colorado Springs hiring, particularly employers clustered near Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever, and the north-side technology corridors in Briargate and Powers. Candidates with active security clearances move to the front of the line faster here than in most U.S. cities. Systems engineering, embedded software, and program leadership experience are consistently in demand across the local contractor and government-adjacent employer base.
Which companies hire principal engineers in Colorado Springs?
Companies currently hiring principal engineers in Colorado Springs include Northrop Grumman, Sanmina, and SAIC, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Colorado Springs draws a mix of large defense primes, mid-size government contractors, and growing commercial technology firms, all of which regularly recruit at the principal engineer level.
Are there remote principal engineer jobs in Colorado Springs?
Yes, though it varies by specialty. Principal engineer roles involving classified systems, lab environments, or on-site program delivery are almost always on-site, while architecture, software, and analytical roles carry more flexibility. About 12% of principal engineer openings tied to Colorado Springs are remote or hybrid as of July 2026. Commercial technology employers on the north side of the city tend to offer the most remote-friendly arrangements locally.
How can I get a principal engineer job in Colorado Springs with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Colorado Springs is starting as a senior engineer with a local defense contractor or aerospace firm and building toward principal through program visibility and cross-functional ownership. Employers near the Space Force installations regularly hire developing engineers into structured advancement tracks. Earning or holding a security clearance at any level is a significant differentiator in this market and can accelerate your timeline to principal-level roles considerably.
Which industries hire the most principal engineers in Colorado Springs?
The sectors hiring the most principal engineers in Colorado Springs are Electronics & Hardware, Manufacturing, and Aerospace & Defense, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Colorado Springs's concentration of military installations and space operations commands creates sustained demand from defense primes and government contractors that consistently outpaces hiring in most comparable-size U.S. cities.
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