Northrop Grumman Space Systems (NGSP) is seeking a Software Engineer Level 3 or 4 to join our team in the Payload & Ground Software Engineering organization supporting a Ground program.
The successful candidate will have Software development experience, with the ability to digest changes and synthesize them into working designs, generate efficient code according to the specifications, and adapt to changes as necessary that are driven by bugs or specification updates or the customer. You will be expected to operate independently with little oversight in a dynamic environment, and to be highly self-motivated, reporting information to leads and the customer. You will be expected to handle diverse assignments with efficiency, finding unique solutions and working in a very collaborative and fast-paced environment that continues to grow.
This position will be at our site in Morrisville, North Carolina. This position requires being on-site and does not support remote or hybrid work.
This position can be filled at either a Level 3 (Principal) or Level 4 (Sr Principal).
Basic Qualifications for Level 3 (Principal):
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 5 years of software development experience– OR – Master’s degree with 3 years of software development experience – OR – PhD with 1 year of software development experience. May consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of degree.
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access (TS/SCI). Approval must be obtained within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the company, to meet business needs. Not required to start, US Citizenship required.
Experience developing applications on Linux/Unix operating systems
Exposure to Agile principles, and Atlassian tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
Basic understanding of asynchronous messaging systems (e.g., NATS, ActiveMQ, gRPC, etc.)
Working knowledge of one or more server-side languages, including Python, C++, Node.js, Go, or Java
Familiarity with integrating systems using a data-driven design approach
Strong knowledge of integration best practices, focusing on subsystem interfaces, APIs, and complex workflows
Basic Qualifications for Level 4 (Sr Principal):
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 8 years of software development experience – OR – Master’s degree with 6 years of software development experience – OR – PhD with 4 years of software development experience. May consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of degree.
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access (TS/SCI). Approval must be obtained within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the company, to meet business needs. Not required to start, US Citizenship required.
Experience developing applications on Linux/Unix operating systems
Exposure to Agile principles, and Atlassian tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
Basic understanding of asynchronous messaging systems (e.g., NATS, ActiveMQ, gRPC, etc.)
Working knowledge of one or more server-side languages, including Python, C++, Node.js, Go, or Java
Familiarity with integrating systems using a data-driven design approach
Strong knowledge of integration best practices, focusing on subsystem interfaces, APIs, and complex workflows
Preferred Qualifications
Previous experience developing Mission Management and Control software for Satelitte Ground Systems
Experience in developing security/reliable code (Unit Test, Code Coverage, SonarQube scans, Fortify)
Proficiency in developing container-based applications (podman/docker, horizontal scaling, etc.)
Proficiency in developing software using C++ and Python
Experience implementing a Data Centric software design (developing data schemas, translating between data formats
#SpaceEngJobs
#SpaceSoftwareJobs
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of software development experience for Level 3, or 8 years for Level 4; equivalent advanced-degree or experience combinations accepted
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with SCI access
- U.S. citizenship
- Experience developing applications on Linux or Unix operating systems
- Exposure to Agile principles and Atlassian tools such as Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket
- Basic understanding of asynchronous messaging systems such as NATS, ActiveMQ, or gRPC
- Working knowledge of at least one server-side language: Python, C++, Node.js, Go, or Java
- Familiarity with data-driven system integration
- Strong knowledge of integration best practices, subsystem interfaces, APIs, and complex workflows
- Experience developing mission management and control software for satellite ground systems
- Experience developing secure and reliable code using unit testing, code coverage, SonarQube, or Fortify
- Experience developing container-based applications using Podman or Docker and horizontal scaling
- Proficiency with C++ and Python
- Experience implementing data-centric software designs, schemas, and data-format translation
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.






