Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking an Embedded Flight Software Engineer – Level 3 or 4 to join our team in Linthicum, MD.
The software engineer will design, develop, integrate, and test software that manages a Space payload unit ensuring compliance with established requirements. Selected individuals will work on an agile development team, primarily using C++, Linux and/or Python. This role will support Payload and Ground Software Engineering Eastern Region in Linthicum, MD.
This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.
In this job, you will:
The individual will work through all phases of the software development cycle including design, development, integration, and test. The selected individual will conduct peer reviews of software-related products, software designs, and additional technical documents, as well as participation in cross-functional scrum team. Successful candidates are expected to be able to understand system requirements, how they apply to system design, and be able to implement and debug software to accomplish defined completion criteria. Individuals must be self-starters and able to efficiently operate in a team environment. Existing engineering and system specialists will be made available to assist with any activities associated with executing primary tasking. However, the selected individuals will be expected to prioritize and make recommendations to Technical Leads, as required, to implement tasking assigned.
If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!
This position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company.
This position can be filled at either a Level 3 (Principal) or Level 4 (Sr Principal).
Basic Qualifications for Level 3 (Principal):
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or another STEM discipline with a minimum of 5 years of software development experience working on embedded real-time systems – OR – Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or another STEM discipline with 3 years of software development experience working on embedded real-time systems – OR PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or another STEM discipline with 1 year of software development experience working on embedded real-time systems.
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. Approval must be obtained within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the company, to meet business needs. Not required to start, US Citizenship required.
Experience developing Object Oriented code using C++
Ability to debug your own code, as well as trace and understand existing code
Experience integrating developed software applications, to include usage of tools and logs to examine data to verify correct operation and identify problem areas
Experience and ability to review work products and provide meaningful feedback
Experience in embedded software development, cross-compiling with GCC
Experience developing in a Linux environment
Experience with using software configuration management tools
Basic Qualifications for Level 4 (Sr Principal):
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or another STEM discipline with a minimum of 8 years of software development experience working on embedded real-time systems – OR – Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or another STEM discipline with 6 years of software development experience working on embedded real-time systems – OR PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or another STEM discipline with 4 years of software development experience working on embedded real-time systems.
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. Approval must be obtained within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the company, to meet business needs.Not required to start, US Citizenship required.
Experience developing Object Oriented code using C++
Ability to debug your own code, as well as trace and understand existing code
Experience integrating developed software applications, to include usage of tools and logs to examine data to verify correct operation and identify problem areas
Experience and ability to review work products and provide meaningful feedback
Experience in embedded software development, cross-compiling with GCC
Experience developing in a Linux environment
Experience with using software configuration management tools
Preferred Qualifications:
Active TS/SCI Clearance
Experience as a member of an Agile Scrum team
Experience with developing software in Python
Experience in embedded C++ optimizations
Experience debugging with GDB
Experience with the Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
Experience with software control of digital logic / FPGAs / firmware
Hands-on hardware integration and testing experience
Ability to debug complex integrated applications or test setup issues
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
Primary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $163,200.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $135,800.00 - $203,600.00The 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.Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or another STEM discipline with 5 (Level 3) or 8 (Level 4) years of embedded real-time systems software development experience; OR Master's with 3 (L3) or 6 (L4) years; OR PhD with 1 (L3) or 4 (L4) years.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access; US citizenship required.
- Experience developing object-oriented code using C++.
- Ability to debug own code and trace/understand existing code.
- Experience integrating developed software applications and using tools/logs to verify operation and identify problems.
- Experience reviewing software work products and providing meaningful feedback.
- Experience in embedded software development, including cross-compiling with GCC.
- Experience developing in a Linux environment.
- Experience using software configuration management tools.
- Active TS/SCI clearance (preferred).
- Experience as a member of an Agile Scrum team (preferred).
- Experience developing software in Python (preferred).
- Experience with embedded C++ optimizations (preferred).
- Experience debugging with GDB (preferred).
- Experience with Atlassian tool suite: Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket (preferred).
- Experience with software control of digital logic / FPGAs / firmware (preferred).
- Hands-on hardware integration and testing experience (preferred).
- Ability to debug complex integrated applications or test setup issues (preferred).
Northrop Grumman Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northrop Grumman and has not been reviewed or approved by Northrop Grumman.
-
Retirement Support — 401(k) matching is considered strong, with additional defined-benefit coverage for certain cohorts and options like catch-up contributions. Retirement programs are repeatedly highlighted as a core strength of the total rewards.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO, company-paid holidays, and compressed work schedules (such as 9/80) provide meaningful time away and flexibility. These scheduling options are cited as a major quality-of-life benefit across many locations.
-
Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave alongside caregiver leave, adoption assistance, and back-up care supports a range of family needs. These programs have been expanded recently, signaling continued investment in family support.
Northrop Grumman Insights
What We Do
We are a close-knit community of big thinkers collaborating to keep the world safe. Our passion, creativity and expertise bring next-level technology solutions to life in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, space, and logistics and modernization for our customers around the globe. On the Northrop Grumman team, you’ll join our pursuit of excellence immersed in a dynamic culture of innovation and respect. Your unique perspective will help achieve our shared vision for the future of global security. Every step of the way, you'll be supported by world-class training, employee resource groups and a comprehensive benefits package that enables greater health and happiness for you and your family. Worldwide and across disciplines, we’re challenging what’s possible for technology to protect people and places from undersea to outer space and into cyberspace. And we see the impact of our performance every day. We are Northrop Grumman, and we work on what matters—now, you too can make a difference. Explore opportunities in engineering, IT, manufacturing, business management, cybersecurity and more with us. Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
.png)
