Senior Staff Engineer Jobs in Utah
Senior Staff Engineer jobs in Utah are in strong demand, concentrated in technology, defense, semiconductor manufacturing, and enterprise software, with openings at individual contributor leadership levels reaching into principal and distinguished engineer tiers. Salt Lake City, Lehi, and Provo anchor most of the hiring, where companies like Adobe, Qualtrics, and Northrop Grumman maintain large engineering operations. The most sought-after specialties in Utah are distributed systems, embedded and firmware engineering, and platform infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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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 Defense Systems is seeking a Sr Staff Engineer Guidance Navigation Control . This position is located in Roy, Utah or Manhattan Beach, California and supports the Sentinel program.
What You Will Get To Do:
The GNC Technical Execution Deputy will help own and drive the most critical GNC program issues for the Sentinel program. The role combines deep technical expertise in guidance, navigation, and control hardware/software with strong leadership, stakeholder coordination, and issue resolution authority to keep the program on schedule, within performance budgets, and on a clear technical path forward.
- Own GNC issues, from issue identification through resolution and flight test acceleration.
- Lead root cause investigations, develop and execute detailed resolution plans, and ensure timely closure of open actions.
- Work daily with multiple Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) inside GNC.
- Liaise with the Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) to secure approvals for schedule acceleration and risk reduction actions.
- Secondary technical POC for NIXAG (customer technical leadership interface)
- Provide technical insight, influence NIXAG decisions, and shape inputs to Flight Systems (e.g., JCCB packages, Alternate PIGA, trade studies, Measure of Capability (MOC)).
- Co-chair design reviews; adjudicate CRMs with USG, coordinate RFAs and responses.
- Lead GNC level Material Review Boards (MRBs) and Failure Review Boards (FRBs).
- Determine and communicate the technical path forward for GNC issues, direct troubleshooting, and investigation effort.
- Deliver technical recommendations to IPT/Element/Segment leads that shape schedule, cost, and performance outcomes.
- Ensure the team’s work products meet program quality standards and are delivered on schedule.
- Partner with IPTs early in the development cycle to anticipate and prevent critical GNC issues.
- Drive schedule acceleration and risk mitigation measures, securing cross organizational stakeholder approval.
- Communicate complex technical status, risks, and decisions to senior leadership and customer representatives.
- Own all Measure of Capability (MOC) items and flight test acceleration activities linked to GNC.
- Coordinate test plan development, data collection, and analysis to validate GNC performance against Level 1 WSS requirements and Program KPPs.
This positions standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off. This role may offer a relocation assistance package.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Control Engineering or related STEM discipline
- 14 years of related experience
- Must be a US Citizen
- Active Top Secret Clearance, at time of application, current and within scope, with an investigation date within the last 6 years
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs
- Minimum of 14 years of experience in Guidance, Navigation & Controls or comparable control systems engineering
- Strong background in hardware and/or software flight systems design, manufacturing, and test
- Expertise in HW/SW troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and failure review processes
- Experience leading detailed issue resolution plans from detection through closure.
- Extensive knowledge of GNC hardware, algorithms, accuracy trade studies, and embedded electronics
- Ability to integrate HW and SW perspectives for system level solutions
- Familiarity with MRB/FRB processes, JCCB packages, and MOC procedures
- Excellent written and oral communication
- Proficient in Microsoft Office suite
- JIRA/Confluence or equivalent issue tracking tools
- Willingness to travel to customer sites and test ranges as needed
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Controls, or a related engineering discipline.
- Advanced Education-Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline or certification in Systems Engineering, Project Management, or Six Sigma.
- Self starter with a record of leading senior technical staff
- Strong influence and negotiation skills with senior customer and internal stakeholders.
- Ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly to senior leadership and non technical audiences.
- Understanding of GNC Systems Engineering lifecycle and associated phases of development
- Experience in inertial sensor performance analysis
- Deep knowledge of GNC algorithm development, linear covariance analysis, modeling and simulation, control systems
- Experience in full software lifecycle: architecture, development, peer review, verification, performance analysis, implementation, integration, debug, and maintenance
- Experience with real time operating systems
- Experience in Design / Analysis of processor architecture, digital electronics architecture, actuator electronic design, analog sensor electronics design, power electronics design
- Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded code (preferably MISRA C compliant)
- Experience with MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and code generation
- Use of version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
- Experience working in Model-Based Systems Engineering tools such as Cameo
- Understanding of requirements development/management using DOORS or similar tool(s)
- Experience working in Teamcenter PLM
- Experience working in Jira / Confluence
- Program Delivery-Prior experience delivering avionics or GNC units/systems to operational status.
- Technology Maturation-Background in technology readiness level (TRL) advancement, technology insertion, or developmental maturation activities.
- Systems Integration-Exposure to full system integration, especially within large scale defense programs.
Roy UT salary range: $166,500-$249,700
Manhattan Beach CA salary range: $192,800-$289,200
Primary Level Salary Range: $166,500.00 - $289,200.00 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.See All 12 Senior Staff Engineer Jobs in Utah
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Find Senior Staff Engineer JobsSenior Staff Engineer Jobs by City in Utah
Where Utah roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Staff Engineer Job Market in Utah
A snapshot from current Utah openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring


What Utah Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior staff engineer jobs across Utah.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a related discipline
- Ten or more years of progressive software or systems engineering experience
- Demonstrated leadership in technical architecture and cross-team design decisions
- Deep expertise in at least one domain such as distributed systems, embedded systems, or cloud infrastructure
- Experience mentoring engineers and driving alignment across engineering organizations
- Strong communication skills for partnering with product, operations, and executive stakeholders
Senior Staff Engineer Jobs in Utah: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior staff engineer in Utah?
Reaching a senior staff engineer level in Utah typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, followed by years of progressive engineering and technical leadership experience. Utah employers in technology and defense often value demonstrated architecture ownership and cross-functional influence over any single certification. Candidates targeting defense contractors may also need to qualify for a security clearance, which is initiated by the employer, not a state board.
Which companies hire senior staff engineers in Utah?
Utah senior staff engineer roles are posted by Northrop Grumman and LVT (LiveView Technologies) and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. Utah's technology corridor along the Wasatch Front, often called Silicon Slopes, concentrates a high density of enterprise software and semiconductor employers who hire at this level on a recurring basis.
Which Utah cities have the most senior staff engineer jobs?
Roy, Clearfield, and American Fork have the most senior staff engineer openings in Utah. Salt Lake City draws volume from large enterprise software firms and defense contractors headquartered downtown, while Lehi and Provo benefit from the Silicon Slopes technology cluster, where companies like Adobe, Qualtrics, and dozens of growth-stage software firms maintain significant engineering offices.
Are there remote senior staff engineer jobs in Utah?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 0% of senior staff engineer openings tied to Utah are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, reflecting how much of this work centers on design, code review, and architectural collaboration rather than physical presence. The parts of the role most commonly performed remotely are system design, code review, and cross-team technical planning, while on-site presence is more often required for defense or hardware-adjacent positions.
How can I get hired as a senior staff engineer in Utah with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is through an associate or mid-level software or systems engineering role at a Utah employer, then building toward the scope and influence the senior staff level requires. Large Utah technology companies in the Silicon Slopes corridor, including enterprise software firms in Lehi and Provo, regularly hire earlier-career engineers into structured programs and grow them internally. Candidates strengthen their candidacy by contributing to open-source projects, earning a cloud architecture certification, or completing a graduate degree at the University of Utah or Brigham Young University.
Where can I find and apply to senior staff engineer jobs in Utah?
You can find and apply to senior staff engineer jobs in Utah on Migrate Mate, which lists current Utah openings from employers across the state. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listing.
See All 12 Senior Staff Engineer Jobs in Utah
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