Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for Principal / Senior Principal Software Engineer (Virtualization) to join the team of qualified individuals on our Test and Evaluation organization. This role is located onsite in Melbourne, FL.
**This role may be filled at the Principal OR Senior Principal level based on the qualifications listed, below**
In this role, the successful candidate will be responsible for the design, development, deployment, and enhancement of advanced software solutions, specifically focused on laboratory test bench virtualization for flight control, communication, and mission system functionalities. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and a commitment to driving innovative improvements.
Key Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Assist in the development of the virtual lab topology (compute, storage, networking) using industry standard hypervisors and container orchestration.
- Develop automation scripts (IaC) for provisioning, configuration, and lifecycle management of lab resources.
- Build or integrate device emulation layers that expose virtual instruments to end users via standard protocols.
- Implement audit logging to meet security and compliance requirements.
- Create CI/CD pipelines for continuous delivery of lab images, updates, and patches.
- Produce comprehensive documentation (design diagrams, SOPs, user guides) and train lab administrators.
- Work closely with domain experts to translate experimental procedures into reproducible virtual workflows.
We offer flexible work arrangements, 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.
Basic Qualifications (Principal):
- Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 3 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 1 years of related professional/military experience
- Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
- Willingness and ability to obtain a RedHat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification
- Experience using Git or similar version control systems
- Experience working across Windows and/or Linux environments (e.g., RHEL, Debian, Ubtuntu, or similar distributions)
Basic Qualifications (Senior Principal):
- Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 8 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 6 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience
- Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
- Willingness and ability to obtain a RedHat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification
- Experience using Git or similar version control systems
- Experience working across Windows and/or Linux environments (e.g., RHEL, Debian, Ubtuntu, or similar distributions)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with systemd, (e.g., use of systemctl, journalctl)
- Experience with hypervisors (e.g. VMWare ESXi, Xen, kvm, Hyper-V), virtualization, and creating virtual machines
- A RedHat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification
- Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing approaches.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team and to communicate effectively with a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Experience with setting up and configuring a firewall and reverse proxy software PFSense or OPNSense and HAProxy or nginx
- Experience working with OS automation tools
- Experience with implementing and tailoring the implementation of DOD STIGs
- Active Top Secret clearance.
Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00The 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 of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 5 years of related professional or military experience; or a STEM master's degree and 3 years; or a STEM Ph.D. and 1 year, for the Principal level
- Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related professional or military experience; or a STEM master's degree and 6 years; or a STEM Ph.D. and 4 years, for the Senior Principal level
- Active U.S. Government Secret or higher security clearance, with a background investigation within the past six years or enrollment in Continuous Evaluation
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program clearance
- Willingness and ability to obtain Red Hat Certified System Administrator certification
- Experience using Git or a similar version control system
- Experience working across Windows and/or Linux environments
- Experience with systemd
- Experience with hypervisors, virtualization, and creating virtual machines
- Red Hat Certified System Administrator certification
- Experience with hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop testing
- Experience configuring PFsense or OPNSense firewalls and HAProxy or nginx reverse proxies
- Experience with operating system automation tools
- Experience implementing and tailoring Department of Defense STIGs
- Active Top Secret clearance
- Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
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.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple medical plan options by region alongside dental, vision, mental‑health resources, and wellness programs. Recent materials also highlight added family‑building support, including a dedicated fertility benefit.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) savings plan is positioned as competitive with a company match, auto‑escalation features, and access to an employee stock fund/ESPP. Official filings and benefits guides emphasize retirement as a core element of the Total Rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Many sites offer a 9/80 schedule, generous PTO, paid holidays, and flexible/telework options where program needs allow. Paid parental and caregiver leave are prominently featured, with recent enhancements for the delivering parent.
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.
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