Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a Software Engineer (Level 1 or 2) to join our team of highly qualified, diverse professionals within the Western Region Software Engineering Directorate. This position is located onsite in Manhattan Beach, CA, supporting the Resource Control (RC) team for an operational Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) payload system.
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 Software Engineer (Level 1 or 2) include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Help maintain and enhance embedded flight software that controls onboard payload functions, and develop and improve ground support tools.
• Contribute across the full software lifecycle—design, implementation, test, integration, and operational support - as well as support on‑orbit anomaly investigations and root cause analysis in collaboration with operations and systems engineering teams.
• Collaborate effectively within a multi-disciplinary engineering team.
If you enjoy digging into data, building tools that make complex systems understandable, and seeing your work directly contribute to mission success on orbit, this role is an excellent fit. This position is full-time onsite.
This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on the qualifications listed below.
Basic Qualifications - Associate Software Engineer (Level 1):
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 0 years of experience
- Proficiency in C++ and object-oriented programming principles, with hands-on experience working on production or large-scale laboratory codebases
- Experience developing software on Unix/Linux (coursework or project experience acceptable).
- Active U.S. Government Secret clearance required at the time of application.
Basic Qualifications – Software Engineer (Level 2):
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 2+ years of relevant software engineering experience or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 0 years of experience.
- Proficiency in C++ and object-oriented programming principles, with hands-on experience working on production or large-scale laboratory codebases
- Experience developing software on Unix/Linux.
- Active U.S. Government Secret clearance required at the time of application.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Knowledge of Perl, Python, or Java.
- Experience with Agile/Scrum processes and the Atlassian suite (Confluence, Jira, Bitbucket, Bamboo).
- Knowledge of real-time operating systems such as VxWorks.
- Experience with system simulation environments such as Simics or similar.
- Background in software integration, system level testing, and regression testing for medium to large code bases.
- Demonstrated curiosity and persistence in investigating complex technical issues and driving them to resolution.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline for Level 1, or bachelor's degree with 2+ years of relevant software engineering experience for Level 2
- Master's degree in a STEM discipline may qualify for Level 2 with 0 years of experience
- Proficiency in C++ and object-oriented programming principles
- Hands-on experience with production or large-scale laboratory codebases
- Experience developing software on Unix/Linux; coursework or project experience acceptable for Level 1
- Active U.S. Government Secret clearance at the time of application
- Knowledge of Perl, Python, or Java
- Experience with Agile/Scrum processes and the Atlassian suite
- Knowledge of real-time operating systems such as VxWorks
- Experience with system simulation environments such as Simics or similar
- Background in software integration, system-level testing, and regression testing for medium to large codebases
- Curiosity and persistence in investigating complex technical issues and driving them to resolution
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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