Network Communications Intern - Ellsworth AFB
About the job
- For the Network Communications level, a high school diploma or GED plus 6 years of relevant Network Communications/Administration experience, an associate’s degree plus 4 years, a bachelor’s degree plus 2 years, or a master’s degree is required.
- For the Principal Network Communications level, a high school diploma or GED plus 9 years of relevant Network Communications/Administration experience, an associate’s degree plus 7 years, a bachelor’s degree plus 5 years, or a master’s degree plus 3 years is required.
- A current CompTIA Security Plus certification or higher is required.
- Experience with Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) compliance is required.
- Experience designing and maintaining local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), and cloud-based networks is required.
- Experience configuring, installing, and maintaining network hardware is required.
- Experience configuring, installing, and maintaining TACLANES encryption devices is required.
- Experience using network analysis tools such as Wireshark, Opnet, or SolarWinds is required.
- Experience with the Microsoft Office suite is required.
- Ability to lift equipment weighing up to 40 pounds is required.
- Must be willing and able to work a flexible schedule that may include extended shifts, holidays, and weekends, and to support on-call status 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.
- Must be able to transfer and maintain a final adjudicated U.S. government Secret clearance, which must be in scope or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation, and any required program access within a reasonable period determined by the company.
- SkillBridge participants must have served at least 180 days on active duty, be within 12 months of separation or retirement, receive an honorable discharge, have completed service TAPS/TGPS, have attended or participated in an ethics brief within the past 12 months, and obtain written authorization and approval to participate from their Unit Commander before the internship begins.
- Provide real-time support for network Ground Systems during flight operations and maintenance, including fault isolation, remediation, and resolution of communications and networking issues.
- Account for, control, and deploy equipment.
- Work with partners to resolve connectivity and data-movement issues between Ground Systems and external networks.
- Perform field integration, troubleshooting, and repair of communications systems in military flight operations environments, including flightlines, hangars, and command-and-control centers.
- Follow checklists and procedures to ensure repeatable success and provide procedure redlines when necessary.
- Work with a team to provide 24/7 on-site support for network operations of the Ground Communications Interface.
- Provide local network management support through updates, configurations, security patches, drawings, and feedback to Responsible Engineers.
- Communicate complex technical issues to local support, Main Operation Bases, and Responsible Engineers.
- Support and lead air-crew engagement on techniques for solving complex technical problems that arise during operations.
- Assist Responsible Engineers with trend analysis as needed.
- Perform or support review and analysis of supplier design data and define functional test requirements, including acceptance, qualification, and system integration.
- Take responsibility for testing, maintaining, and integrating communications and network equipment required to support ground and flight operations.
- Work with system administrators, maintainers, and on-site personnel to troubleshoot and repair internal operational issues.
- Active U.S. government Top Secret clearance is preferred.
- Special Program Access is preferred.
- Experience with remote cloud architecture is preferred.
- Experience working in an Air Force flightline environment is preferred.
- Experience working with Air Force flight communications systems is preferred.
- Experience working on aircraft communications systems, such as Predator or Global Hawk, is preferred.
About the company
Northrop Grumman is a defense and space contractor that designs, builds, and integrates advanced military aircraft, spacecraft, and related technologies. Its products range from stealth aircraft and space telescopes to autonomous systems and cybersecurity solutions, delivered as end-to-end platforms across air, land, sea, and space. The company differentiates itself through its history of combining aerospace engineering with software and sensors, a scale-built by merging Northrop and Grumman and later adding defense and space acquisitions. Its goal is to secure national defense and enable scientific exploration by providing trusted, integrated systems at scale.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Founded
1939
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- July 2026 backlog hit a record $104.7 billion after $20 billion of new awards.
- September 2026 opened Layton East Gate 3, expanding B-21 capacity for 1,500 workers.
- September 2026 won PGK E5 production, with first deliveries expected in early 2028.
What critics are saying
- Second-quarter 2026 margins fell to 10.1% after Sentinel and GEM 63XL cost pressure.
- Bethpage remediation and other legacy environmental liabilities continue draining cash and management attention.
- Mission Systems layoffs in Baltimore show program volatility can hit teams without warning.
What makes Northrop Grumman unique
- B-21, Sentinel, and IBCS anchor Northrop Grumman’s unmatched stealth-and-command portfolio.
- Its 2026 $105 billion backlog and classified programs create deep switching costs.
- Utah and Minnesota factories give Northrop production depth competitors cannot quickly replicate.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Relocation Assistance
Performance Bonus
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -1%1 year growth
↓ -1%2 year growth
↓ -1%B-21 developer Northrop Grumman brings new jobs to South Dakota. Seth Tupper South Dakota Searchlight Sept. 28, 2026, 5:15 a.m. CT * Defense contractor Northrop Grumman will open a new office in Rapid City, South Dakota. * The state and the Ellsworth Development Authority will each contribute $1 million to the project. * Ellsworth Air Force Base has an estimated $800 million annual economic impact on the region. RAPID CITY - Getting Ellsworth Air Force Base removed from a closure list 21 years ago was the beginning of the work needed to secure the base's future in western South Dakota, Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds said Wednesday. "Once we knew Ellsworth was safe, we also knew that building up the base's infrastructure and developing the region to attract others in the defense industry was the best way to prevent future threats," Rounds said. Over the past two decades, local and state officials have worked to expand the base's training airspace, add a remotely piloted drone unit, clear potential crash zones of development, and make Ellsworth the first base to host new B-21 stealth bomber planes next year, among other initiatives. The goal is retaining the estimated 9,000 people the base brings to the area, including military members, their families and civilian employees, and the estimated $800 million annual economic impact they help generate. The latest effort came to fruition Wednesday with the announcement that Virginia-based defense contractor Northrop Grumman - which is developing B-21s for the Air Force - will establish an office in an $18 million building to be constructed in Rapid City, less than 10 miles west of the base. Elevate Rapid City, a local economic development partnership, will build the facility on undeveloped land next to its David Lust Accelerator Building, a business incubation complex in eastern downtown Rapid City's Innovation District. The accelerator building hosted Wednesday's announcement. The announcement did not include an estimate of the number of jobs Northrop Grumman will bring to the city, but an executive said the company has scheduled about 50 interviews for the "first wave" of future employees. The combined number of the company's employees at Ellsworth and the Rapid City office could ultimately number in the "hundreds," said Elevate CEO Jack Valentine in an interview with South Dakota Searchlight. Elevate will work to recruit additional tenants to the facility. The state and the Ellsworth Development Authority will each contribute $1 million to help Elevate with the project.State lawmakers created the authority in 2009 to help secure the base's future, and Executive Director Scott Landguth told Searchlight the authority has been self-funded for about six years through land deals, federal grants and other sources. Gov. Larry Rhoden announced the state's contribution will be a $1 million grant from the Future Fund, a pool of economic development money under his control. The money comes from a fee paid by employers when they submit taxes to support unemployment benefits. "Northrop Grumman is sending a strong signal about their belief in the opportunities that are available right here in South Dakota," Rhoden said. Rhoden was among dozens of state, local and military leaders in attendance Wednesday. Rounds submitted his comments by video from Washington, D.C. The state's support of the project furthers Rhoden's goal, which he announced eight months ago in his annual State of the State address, to make national security the next big industry in South Dakota. In April, Rhoden awarded a $6 million Future Fund grant to create the South Dakota Defense Institute, which will work to attract more defense contractors to the state. The institute has since been organized as a nonprofit with a board that is searching for a CEO. The institute will be housed in a building acquired by Elevate at 14 St. Joseph St. in Rapid City, about a block away from the accelerator building. South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation's largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. Deal of the Day Recommendations are independently chosen by its editors. Purchases you make through its links may earn The Public Opinion a commission.
TRL11 of Irvine providing key component for Northrop Grumman spacecraft. For U.S. military September 23, 2026 Northrop Grumman said it has picked the Irvine-based firm TRL11 to supply the "optical payload" for the prototype of a spacecraft that will keep an eye on other spacecraft orbiting the Earth. Financial details were not released. Northrop Grumman has been selected by the U.S. military's Defense Innovation Unit and Space Force to develop the prototype, according to a statement from the Falls Church, Va.-based company. The spacecraft - called GHOST-R - is intended to demonstrate a commercially derived approach to close-range reconnaissance of spacecraft whose orbits match the Earth's rotation, instead of relying on ground-based systems. For further details, see the Oct. 5 edition of the Business Journal. Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country? Sign-up for its FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox! One-Year for Only $99 * Weekly in-depth coverage in print and digital formats * Special Features: OC's Wealthiest, Top Priced Home Sales, Giving Guide, OC500, Charity Event Guide, Best Places to Work, Indispensables, Largest Charitable Gifts * The annual Book of Lists: Orange County's top companies across every industry Tech reporter at Orange County Business Journal
True Anomaly, Northrop Grumman secure contracts to develop GHOST-R GEO reconnaissance prototypes. * GHOST-R will use commercially developed spacecraft and electro-optical payloads for GEO reconnaissance * The prototypes are scheduled to launch directly into geostationary Earth orbit by 2028 * Northrop Grumman will use its ESPASat-L spacecraft for its GHOST-R prototype The Defense Innovation Unit and Space Systems Command have awarded contracts to Northrop Grumman and True Anomaly to develop reconnaissance prototypes under the GHOST-R program, with launch directly to geostationary Earth orbit scheduled by 2028, SSC said Friday. Table of Contents What is the GHOST-R program? GHOST-R is designed to provide high-resolution space-to-space imagery for characterizing resident space objects in geostationary orbit. The effort uses commercially developed space vehicles, buses and electro-optical payloads to support reconnaissance missions. The program is being developed in support of SSC's RG-XX office, which is pursuing lower-cost, reconnaissance-focused satellites for its constellation. The effort follows a May solicitation in which DIU sought commercially developed systems capable of producing high-resolution imagery of objects in GEO, with an initial prototype target of 24 months. How will GHOST-R transition to operational missions? The prototypes are expected to transition to government-owned and operated missions for the U.S. Space Force by 2029. Successful prototypes will have a path toward transition into the program of record, according to SSC. DIU's original solicitation called for the system to transition from commercial ownership and operation to government ownership and operation within 36 months. The DIU-SSC partnership uses a customer-and-accelerator model that relies on rapid prototyping to develop capabilities for the RG-XX program. The approach is intended to streamline standard defense acquisition processes and shorten the time needed to field prototype capabilities. The companies developing the prototypes will use proven commercial buses and integrate electro-optical payloads into the reconnaissance vehicles. Northrop Grumman will use its ESPASat-L spacecraft platform for its GHOST-R prototype and incorporate optical payloads from TRL-11. Col. Bryon McClain, acting portfolio acquisition executive for Space Combat Power, said the approach is intended to address technical risk and lifecycle costs while providing reconnaissance capabilities to the warfighter.
The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a $4.8 billion contract for its Common Infrared Countermeasure system, running through September 2035. The company has already delivered over 750 CIRCM units, which have logged more than 75,000 operational flight hours on Apache and Chinook helicopters. The award adds to Northrop's expanding backlog, which reached a record $104.7 billion after securing $20 billion in net awards during Q2. Major contracts included $7.6 billion for Sentinel and $4.3 billion for classified programmes. Despite strong demand, profitability remains a concern. Northrop's Q2 operating margin fell to 10.1% from 13.8% a year earlier, with Defence Systems margin dropping to 7.5% from 12.7%, partly due to higher costs on specific programmes.
Northrop Grumman opens new manufacturing facility in Layton as production accelerates for B-21 Raider. Posted: Sep 10, 2026 / 10:57 AM MDT Updated: Sep 10, 2026 / 11:01 AM MDT LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) - Northrop Grumman opened a new manufacturing facility in Layton as production accelerates for B-21 Raider. Layton's East Gate Business Park is a long-term economic development initiative near Hill Air Force Base with the goal of attracting thousands of industrial and manufacturing jobs over the next decade. The new Northrop Grumman facility is the latest to call the business park home. Industry, local and state leaders celebrated the opening of Northrop Grumman's new facility with a ribbon cutting Wednesday morning. "We need you. America needs you," Layton Mayor Joy Petro stated at the event. "So, with that, I just want to say welcome, everyone, and let's get this show on the road." This, she said, is years in the making. "We're creating an ecosystem here for our nation's defense with innovation, manufacturing, workforce development, and, of course, an economic opportunity where we can all come together." The building, and others at the business park, will be used for the production of the B-21 Raider. "I believe it will be the predominant deterrent weapons system of the future," Northrop Grumman's vice president and president of aeronautics systems, Tom Jones, said. The aircraft isn't being used in combat just yet. Northrop Grumman's website further explains: "The B-21 Raider continues its flight test campaign at Edwards Air Force Base, California, led by a Combined Test Force (CTF) comprised of Northrop Grumman and Air Force personnel. CTF pilots indicate the jet is performing as expected with the aircraft flying like the simulator, reflecting the precision of the digital environment on B-21." "This is what is going to help keep peace and stability in the world, the platform that we're building here," stated Jones. The U.S. Air Force says the B-21 Raider will play a crucial role. Its website explains: "It will be a dual-capable penetrating strike stealth bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions." Both local and state leaders welcome Northrop Grumman's expanded footprint in Utah and its development of the B-21. "The cutting-edge innovation that takes place at Northrop Grumman ensures that the United States is prepared for whatever comes next," Senate President J. Stuart Adams (R-Layton) said at the ribbon cutting. Tom Jones said the work done at the East Gate 3 facility will support 1500 engineering jobs.