Join Northrop Grumman Defense Systems at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) to build and scale secure cloud platforms that enable advanced intelligence for the U.S. Air Force. As a Principal / Sr. Principal Cloud Engineer, you will lead the design, implementation, and automation of AWS and Azure environments using Infrastructure as Code and modern DevSecOps practices, directly supporting mission-critical analysis at Wright-Patterson AFB.
What You’ll Do
- Design, build, and scale secure AWS and Azure landing zones and shared services for NASIC workloads.
- Implement Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, OpenTofu, Ansible) and Git-based CI/CD (GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins, or cloud-native pipelines).
- Apply least-privilege access, centralized logging, auditing, and automated backups across cloud environments.
- Collaborate with cyber, networking, and application teams to meet DoD STIG/RMF requirements.
- Mentor and collaborate with other engineers to drive adoption of DevSecOps best practices.
This position may be filled at a higher level based on the qualifications below.
Basic Qualifications
- Principal Cloud Engineer (Level 3): Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 5 years of relevant experience, or a master’s degree with 3 years of experience.
- Sr. Principal Cloud Engineer (Level 4): Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 8 years of relevant experience, or a master’s degree with 6 years of experience.
- Active Department of Defense Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance.
- Active CompTIA Security+, SecurityX, or CISSP certification.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in DevOps, software development, or systems administration.
- Minimum of 1 year of experience with cloud-based technologies (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).
- Strong experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, OpenTofu, or Ansible.
- Strong experience with CI/CD tools such as GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins, or cloud-native pipelines.
- Experience with Linux operating systems and familiarity with core cloud services, including virtual machines, storage, and networking.
- Experience with distributed revision control systems such as Git.
Preferred Qualifications
- Cloud Platforms
- Strong knowledge of AWS services (VPC, IAM, EC2, S3, ECR, EKS, etc.).
- Strong knowledge of Azure services (VNET, VM, Entra, MDE, AVD, AKS, etc.).
- Containers & Automation
- Experience with OCI-compliant container technologies and tools such as Docker or Podman.
- Experience with Kubernetes-based platforms (e.g., EKS, AKS).
- Scripting & Security
- Experience with Python, Bash, or Go to automate and improve cloud efficiency.
- Experience implementing “security as code,” including automated vulnerability scanning and compliance-driven infrastructure (e.g., DoD STIGs, RMF).
- Ways of Working
- Experience working in an Agile environment and familiarity with Agile principles and practices.
- Experience with project/issue tracking tools such as Jira and Confluence.
#PWRTA3
Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00The 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 STEM with 5 years of relevant experience for Principal level, or master’s degree with 3 years of experience
- Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 8 years of relevant experience for Senior Principal level, or master’s degree with 6 years of experience
- Active Department of Defense Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance
- Active CompTIA Security+, SecurityX, or CISSP certification
- At least 3 years of experience in DevOps, software development, or systems administration
- At least 1 year of experience with cloud technologies such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
- Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform, OpenTofu, or Ansible
- Experience with CI/CD tools such as GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins, or cloud-native pipelines
- Experience with Linux operating systems and core cloud services including virtual machines, storage, and networking
- Experience with distributed revision control systems such as Git
- Knowledge of AWS services including VPC, IAM, EC2, S3, ECR, and EKS
- Knowledge of Azure services including VNET, VM, Entra, MDE, AVD, and AKS
- Experience with OCI-compliant container technologies such as Docker or Podman
- Experience with Kubernetes-based platforms such as EKS or AKS
- Experience with Python, Bash, or Go for cloud automation
- Experience implementing security-as-code, vulnerability scanning, and compliance-driven infrastructure
- Experience working in an Agile environment
- Experience with Jira and Confluence
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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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.
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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.
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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.
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