Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems sector is seeking a Software Quality Engineer/ Principal Software Quality Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals located in Rancho Bernardo or Palmdale, CA.
Telecommute/remote is not an option for this position. This position’s standard work schedule is a 9/80 bi-weekly work week for Rancho Bernardo, or a 4/10 work week for Palmdale, with an occasional expectation for limited off-Friday support.
The successful candidate will implement software quality standards across multiple programs. They will ensure that project and process control documentation is in accordance with contract requirement, program planning, and NG policies, processes, and procedures. They will review software design, code, unit test, integration, change specifications, and plans for contractual and/or process requirements. There will be limited opportunities to develop for internal software tools in support of the Software Quality team’s statement of work.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Perform audits of software development processes to assure compliance in established policies, procedures, work instructions, and program specific plans
Develop, modify, apply, and maintain quality evaluation plans to assist program activities for processing software and materials into partially finished or finished products
Collaborate with program and engineering management on program quality planning and the establishment of program quality objectives
Participate in contractual reviews and audits, program/IPT meetings, and configuration control board meetings
Collaborate with software engineering and systems engineering functions to ensure quality standards are in place and followed
Witness execution of software qualification and system acceptance tests to ensure tests are executed in accordance with approved test procedures, requirements are fully verified, and that all test procedure and software anomalies are documented and tracked to closure
Support CMMI and AS9100 audit activities and audits quality systems for non-conformance identification and corrective action
Evaluate and ensure software suppliers possess the capability and capacity necessary to execute and deliver procured software with unquestionable quality
Ensures that corrective measures meet acceptable quality standards, and that documentation is compliant with requirements
Assists Software Engineering in collecting and reporting metrics
Cross-trained in the hardware quality engineer positions in the department
Basic Qualifications for Software Quality Engineer
Bachelor’s Degree in computer science, software engineering, or other STEM-related field with 2 years OR Master’s Degree in computer science, software engineering, or other STEM-related field with 2 years of relevant software development and integration work experience
Demonstrated knowledge of Agile software development process
Demonstrated knowledge of C, C++, Java, Python
Demonstrated knowledge in the collection of software data and metrics for reporting
Demonstrated knowledge in process and product evaluation
Must hold a Top-Secret clearance and ability to obtain program access
Basic Qualifications for Principal Software Quality Engineer
Bachelor’s Degree in computer science, software engineering, or other STEM-related field with 5 years OR Master’s Degree in computer science, software engineering, or other STEM-related field with 5 years of relevant software development and integration work experience
Demonstrated knowledge of software development processes including Agile, Waterfall, and Spiral Development processes
Demonstrated knowledge of C, C++, Java, Python
Demonstrated experience in process monitoring, data collection, analysis, and metric reporting
Demonstrated experience in process and product evaluation
Must hold a Top-Secret clearance and ability to obtain program access
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in a Software Engineering environment in an engineering capacity, work plan review, manufacturing readiness review, and root cause/corrective action analysis
Familiarity with the Atlassian tool suite with add-ons like Git and Confluence
Certified in lean and six-sigma quality engineering methodologies
Ability to work independently with all levels of management to identify solutions to complex problems
Experience with software code review and open to learning different software tools
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or STEM with 2 years relevant software development and integration experience (Software Quality Engineer level).
- Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or STEM with 5 years relevant software development and integration experience (Principal Software Quality Engineer level).
- Demonstrated knowledge of Agile software development process (and for Principal level, Agile, Waterfall, and Spiral).
- Demonstrated knowledge of C, C++, Java, and Python.
- Demonstrated experience in collection of software data and metrics for reporting.
- Demonstrated experience in process and product evaluation.
- Must hold an active Top Secret clearance and ability to obtain program access.
- Experience in a Software Engineering environment, work plan review, manufacturing readiness review, and root cause/corrective action analysis.
- Familiarity with Atlassian tool suite and add-ons (e.g., Git, Confluence).
- Certification or familiarity with Lean and Six Sigma quality engineering methodologies.
- Experience with software code review and willingness to learn different software tools.
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.








