Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Sr Principal Software Engineer - Development to join our team on site in San Diego, California or Grand Forks, North Dakota with a partial hybrid schedule.
In this role you will design, develop, integrate and test software (SW) for our end-user customers and businesses. You will be responsible for the design, architecture, development, and administration of embedded and real time systems. You will work with multi-disciplinary teams, such as Systems Engineering, Cloud & Application, Test Automation, DevSecOps and Systems Test, in an Agile SW development environment. You will analyze system capabilities to resolve problems on program intent, output requirements, input data acquisition, programming techniques and controls.
Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
•Work in a fast-paced environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative team settings across all levels
•Participate in the full SW development life cycle including requirements, design, implementation, qualification, and delivery of SW products to our customer
•Operate in an embedded technology development environment working with real time operating systems for use in flight and mission critical systems
•Work in Agile Scrum teams to develop SW products for multiple SW baselines
Basic Qualifications:
•Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related engineering experience.
•Experience with the full SW Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
•Experience with the following programming and scripting languages: C, C++, and Python
•Experience with developing multi-threaded SW used for one of the following real-time applications: flight critical SW, Safety critical SW, medical SW, or mission critical SW
•Experience with two of the following tools: Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, Sonarqube, Fortify, or Coverity
•Experience with Agile SW development, embedded system programming, SWintegration and testing
•Familiarity with at least two of the data interfaces: 1553, 1394, 422, 429, Serial, CAN, Discrete & Analog I/O, Ethernet/IP, or Fibre Channel
•Recent experience and proficiency in software architecture, design, implementation, integration, and debugging C++ SW running on Real-Time Operating systems such as: VxWorks, Integrity, AND/OR Real Time Embedded Linux.
•Active U.S. Government Secret Clearance
Preferred Qualifications:
•Basic understanding of PowerPC or ARM assembly
•Able to read assembly and use CPU documentation to understand behaviors
•Can identify moderate execution defects by only reading code
•Understanding of how embedded SW components fit into a larger SW system / architecture
•Able to document, capture, and present software architectural components in modeling or diagramming tools
•Familiarity with OS partitions and isolation architectures
•High level understanding of architectural requirements for airworthiness certifications
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Primary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $213,400.00The 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
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience, or master’s degree and 6 years, or PhD and 4 years
- Experience with the full software development lifecycle
- Experience with C, C++, and Python
- Experience developing multithreaded software for flight-critical, safety-critical, medical, or mission-critical real-time applications
- Experience with at least two specified software development tools, including Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, SonarQube, Fortify, or Coverity
- Experience with Agile software development, embedded system programming, software integration, and testing
- Familiarity with at least two specified data interfaces, including 1553, 1394, 422, 429, Serial, CAN, Discrete and Analog I/O, Ethernet/IP, or Fibre Channel
- Recent proficiency in software architecture, design, implementation, integration, and debugging of C++ software on real-time operating systems
- Active U.S. Government Secret Clearance
- Basic understanding of PowerPC or ARM assembly
- Ability to read assembly and use CPU documentation to understand behaviors
- Ability to identify moderate execution defects by reading code
- Understanding of embedded software components within larger software systems and architectures
- Ability to document and present software architectural components using modeling or diagramming tools
- Familiarity with OS partitions and isolation architectures
- High-level understanding of architectural requirements for airworthiness certifications
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.








