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 Space Systems, Multi-Domain Operations, and Missile Defense Integration Business Unit (BU) has an exciting career opportunity for an Associate Software Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be in Huntsville, AL.
Position Overview:
The selected Engineer will support the Ground Weapons System (GWS) program as an individual contributor responsible for developing software products that directly support the design and development of the GWS capability on behalf of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
Seeking candidates who find satisfaction in working on challenging and diverse assignments in collaborative settings across all levels.
Basic Qualifications:
Associate Software Engineer: Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline preferred from an accredited university and 0 years of related experience. Applications in advance of graduation may be considered, but are contingent on the successful completion of a bachelors.
Experience (technical or academic) with strongly typed languages such as C, C++, ADA or JAVA
Experience or understanding of any of the following: Object Oriented Design, Test Driven Design, SOLID Design Principles, Software Design Patterns
Understanding of software development frameworks and tools such as Agile and the Atlassian tool suite
Exceptional communication and critical thinking skills
Must be able to support an in-person / closed-area work environment
Applicants must have a current active in-scope US Government issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience such as internships in any of the following...
Software development
Technical analysis of missile defense systems
Analysis tools, analysis pipelines, or debugging software systems
Data structures, developing trade studies, or performing performance assessments
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline (preferred in posting but treated as a requirement)
- 0 years related experience / available to hire recent graduates
- Experience with strongly typed languages such as C, C++, ADA, or Java
- Experience or understanding of Object Oriented Design, Test Driven Design, SOLID principles, and Software Design Patterns
- Understanding of software development frameworks and tools such as Agile and the Atlassian tool suite
- Exceptional communication and critical thinking skills
- Ability to support an in-person, closed-area work environment (on-site in Huntsville, AL)
- Current active in-scope US Government issued Secret security clearance at time of application
- U.S. Citizenship (required for positions with government clearance)
- Internship or experience in software development (listed as preferred)
- Internship or experience in technical analysis of missile defense systems (preferred)
- Experience with analysis tools, analysis pipelines, or debugging software systems (preferred)
- Experience with data structures, trade studies, or performance assessments (preferred)
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.








