Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Sr. Principal Software Engineer to support a program developing and fielding a new ground-based radar performing Space Domain Awareness (SDA) missions. You will be a key member of the technical team and will contribute to the design, implementation, integration, and sustainment of software supporting mission execution, system control, data processing, and long-term sustainment of the radar system.
The ideal candidate will have a strong foundational knowledge of software engineering and be able to collaboratively apply systems engineering principles to define, develop, test, debug, and document software solutions across the program.
This position can be based at our work locations in Colorado Springs, CO or Bellevue, Nebraska.
Basic Qualifications:
- Experience developing software in Java
- Experience building services or microservices using Spring Boot
- Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker or Podman
- Experience with Kubernetes for container orchestration and deployment
- Experience with GitLab and CI/CD pipelines for automated build, test, and deployment
- Experience developing software in a Linux environment
- Experience with RESTful APIs and JSON-based interfaces
- Experience with unit testing and integration testing (e.g., JUnit, Mockito)
- Familiarity with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and basic SQL
- Experience using debugging tools and techniques for Java and Linux (e.g., IDE debuggers, jstack, jmap, strace, gdb, log-based debugging)
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Must have an active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope
- 8 years with a Bachelors in Science, 6 years with a Masters in Science degree, and 3 years with the PHD. 4 additional years required in lieu of a degree
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with cloud-native or on-premise distributed systems
- Experience designing and implementing microservice architectures
- Experience with message-based or streaming systems (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ)
- Experience with API gateways and service discovery mechanisms
- Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform, Helm)
- Experience with monitoring, logging, and observability for containerized applications (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/EFK stack)
- Experience performing root-cause analysis in distributed systems using logs, traces, and metrics
- Experience with profiling and performance tuning of Java applications (e.g., VisualVM, JFR, JMC, async profilers)
- Experience implementing robust logging and error-handling strategies to support production debugging
- Experience with secure coding practices and basic understanding of cybersecurity principles
- Experience with Agile/Scrum software development methodologies
- Experience integrating with C/C++ or other languages in mixed-technology systems
- Experience working on real-time or mission-critical systems, such as radar, command and control, or other defense-related applications
- Familiarity with DevSecOps practices and automated security/scanning in CI/CD (e.g., SAST/DAST tools)
Primary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
Skills Required
- Experience developing software in Java
- Experience building services or microservices using Spring Boot
- Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker or Podman
- Experience with Kubernetes for container orchestration and deployment
- Experience with GitLab and CI/CD pipelines for automated build, test, and deployment
- Experience developing software in a Linux environment
- Experience with RESTful APIs and JSON-based interfaces
- Experience with unit testing and integration testing, such as JUnit and Mockito
- Familiarity with relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL and basic SQL
- Experience using debugging tools and techniques for Java and Linux
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance, current and within scope, at time of application
- 8 years of experience with a bachelor's degree in science, 6 years with a master's degree in science, or 3 years with a PhD; 4 additional years required in lieu of a degree
- Experience with cloud-native or on-premise distributed systems
- Experience designing and implementing microservice architectures
- Experience with message-based or streaming systems such as Kafka or RabbitMQ
- Experience with API gateways and service discovery mechanisms
- Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Ansible, Terraform, or Helm
- Experience with monitoring, logging, and observability for containerized applications
- Experience performing root-cause analysis in distributed systems
- Experience with profiling and performance tuning of Java applications
- Experience implementing robust logging and error-handling strategies
- Experience with secure coding practices and basic cybersecurity principles
- Experience with Agile/Scrum software development methodologies
- Experience integrating with C/C++ or other languages in mixed-technology systems
- Experience working on real-time or mission-critical systems, including radar or command-and-control applications
- Familiarity with DevSecOps practices and automated security scanning in CI/CD
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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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple medical plan options by region alongside dental, vision, mental‑health resources, and wellness programs. Recent materials also highlight added family‑building support, including a dedicated fertility benefit.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) savings plan is positioned as competitive with a company match, auto‑escalation features, and access to an employee stock fund/ESPP. Official filings and benefits guides emphasize retirement as a core element of the Total Rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Many sites offer a 9/80 schedule, generous PTO, paid holidays, and flexible/telework options where program needs allow. Paid parental and caregiver leave are prominently featured, with recent enhancements for the delivering parent.
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.
