Ground Software System Engineering I&T Lead - AHT

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription

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 Space Sector is seeking a Ground Software System Engineering I&T Lead (Level 3 or 4) to join our team of highly qualified, diverse professionals within the Western Region Software Engineering Directorate. This position is located onsite in Redondo Beach, CA.

The Western Region Software Engineering organization comprises over 800 skilled professionals—including Software Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Database Administrators, and Network Engineers—at every career stage, from early‑career engineers to senior chief engineers and architects. The organization supports numerous programs and offers ample opportunities for advancement into higher‑level technical roles or leadership positions. Our culture promotes cross‑program collaboration, continuous professional development, and a strong sense of community.

Job responsibilities of the Ground Software System Engineering I&T Lead (Level 3 or 4) include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Support both Software Systems Engineering design and Software Segment Integration & Test (I&T).

• Serve as a key interface with external stakeholders, representing Northrop Grumman (NG) in meetings with customers and external program integration partners.

• Design, develop, and integrate mission‑critical ground software, including cloud‑based backend systems (e.g., Python) and operator‑facing front‑end tools (e.g., ReactJS or similar frameworks).

• Develop modular, reusable architectures that reduce overall code footprint while improving maintainability and scalability.

• Apply strong problem‑solving skills to quickly understand and address complex technical concepts.

• Prepare charts, present data, and provide recommendations to internal teams, program leadership, and external customers, demonstrating excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Manage tasking and mentor team members across multiple program schedules with tight deadlines.

This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on the qualifications listed below.

Basic Qualifications:

• For Principal Software Engineer (Level 3)

  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 5+ years of relevant software engineering experience or Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 3+ years of stated experience or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 1+ years of stated experience.

• For Sr. Principal Software Engineer (Level 4)

  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of relevant software engineering experience or Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 6+ years of stated experience or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 4+ years of stated experience.

• Active U.S. Government Secret clearance required at the time of application.

• Experience with mission-critical ground software.

• Experience with cloud-based software systems.

• Experience with software design and/or software systems modeling tools.

• Experience with mission planning workflows, with a proven track record of creating solutions that integrate operational constraints and real-world mission requirements.

• Demonstrated ability to debug, troubleshoot, and integrate large-scale distributed systems.

• Direct experience supporting or developing products for satellite constellations or ground systems. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing or defining software architecture and detailed CONOPs  for proliferated constellations and their associated ground systems, including mission planning, data telemetry, and command-and-control workflows.

• Experience with software and system design using Cameo.

• Experience with SysML or UAF.

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines.

• Comprehensive understanding of zero-trust security architectures and application of secure-by-design principles in mission-critical software development.

• Strong background in multi-tenant and plug-and-play ground system concepts, including cloud-native implementation with tools like AWS Lambda, DynamoDB, or API Gateway.

• Familiarity with compatibility testing and hardware-in-the-loop environments, ensuring operational readiness and reliability under realistic mission conditions.

• Knowledge or certification in agile development methodologies, with experience working on iterative design and rapid prototyping to respond dynamically to evolving mission architectures.

Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00

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.