Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Principal Simulation Software Engineer / Sr. Principal Simulation Software Engineer - to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Software organization in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Accomplish:
In this role you will design, develop, integrate and test software for our end-user customers and businesses. Specifically, you will be responsible for the design, architecture, application development, and flight simulation. You will work with multi-disciplinary teams, such as with Systems Engineering, Cloud & Application, Test Automation, DevSecOps and Systems Test, in an Agile software development environment. Our simulation software is critical to the current and future company projects. You will analyze system capabilities to resolve problems on program intent, output requirements, input data acquisition, programming techniques and controls.
Essential Functions:
- Work in an innovative environment, on significantly diverse assignments, and in collaborative team settings across all levels
- Participate in the full software development life cycle including requirements, design, implementation, qualification, and delivery of software products to our customers
- Architect and develop embedded mission systems software applications on a real time operating system
- Be a part of Agile Scrum teams to develop software products for multiple software baselines
This requisition may be filled at either a Principal Software Engineer level 3 or a Sr. Principal Software Engineer level 4
Basic Qualifications for a Principal Software Engineer (level 3):
- Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 1 years of related engineering experience.
- Experience with the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) - software design requirements, application development, integration, testing, and deployment
- Experience with at least one of the following programming or scripting languages: C, C++, and Python
- Experience with two or more of the following tools: Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, Gitlab, Sonarqube, Fortify, or Coverity
- Must have an active U.S. Government Secret or higher clearance.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance prior to the commencement of employment.
Basic Qualifications for a Sr. Principal Software Engineer (level 4):
- Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related engineering experience.
- Experience with the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) - software design requirements, application development, integration, testing, and deployment
- Experience with at least one of the following programming or scripting languages: C, C++, and Python
- Experience with two or more of the following tools: Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, Gitlab, Sonarqube, Fortify, or Coverity
- Must have an active U.S. Government Secret or higher clearance.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance prior to the commencement of employment.
Preferred Qualifications for level 3 and level 4:
- Strong understanding of C and C++ languages including templates, memory storage, and compiler/linker
- Experience with or knowledge of Joint Simulation Environment (JSE), Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS), or High-Level Architecture (HLA)
- Experience with Full-Motion Flight Training Systems
- Experience with simulated threat environments such as AFSIM or NGTS
- Experience with Infrastructure as Code & configuration management
- Experience with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment concepts and tools such as Gitlab, Bamboo, or Jenkins
- Ability to collaborate with systems engineers, hardware designers and integration/test engineers to develop and maintain complex software systems
- Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with relevant years of experience (Level 3: Bachelor +5 years / Level 4: Bachelor +8 years) or Master's/PhD with reduced years as specified
- Experience with full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) — requirements, design, implementation, integration, testing, deployment
- Experience with at least one programming or scripting language: C, C++, Python
- Experience with two or more of the following tools: Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, GitLab, SonarQube, Fortify, Coverity
- Must have an active U.S. Government Secret or higher security clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance prior to employment
- Experience developing embedded mission systems software on a real-time operating system
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.








