Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Senior Principal Software Engineer to join our team on site in San Diego, CA or Oklahoma City, OK. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with experience working in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment. In this role, you will be a key member of the Models & Simulation team, leading the planning, integration, and delivery of software releases, as well as diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues.
Roles and Responsibilities will include:
Provide technical leadership for the development, implementation, and maintenance of modular simulation and modeling software (e.g., C++, Python), guiding the team in architecture, standards, and best practices.
Lead the integration of simulation components with system interfaces, middleware, and test harnesses; establish integration strategies and ensure interoperable data flows and real-time performance across the team.
Define and oversee verification and validation strategies, review test plans and results, and direct the resolution of defects to ensure model fidelity, accuracy, and traceability to requirements.
Drive performance and scalability optimization efforts; set priorities for profiling and tuning, reduce latency, and champion CI/CD pipelines for automated builds, testing, and deployments.
Coordinate with systems engineers, testers, and stakeholders to translate requirements into simulation capabilities and scenarios; review and approve technical documentation; and lead technical presentations and demonstrations.
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required.
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
•Experience with two of the following tools: Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, Gitlab, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, Sonarqube, Fortify, or Coverity
•Experience with Agile SW development, embedded system programming, SW integration and testing
•Familiarity with at least one of the wire data interfaces: 1553, 1394, Serial, CAN, Ethernet/IP, or Fibre Channel, etc.
•Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management
•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.
•Ability to collaborate with systems engineers, hardware designers and integration/test engineers to develop and maintain complex SW systems
•Active in-Scope, U.S. Government Top Secret clearance.
•Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Program Access (SAP/PAR). This SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs. (Of note: SAP/PAR will be upgraded once selected candidate is in role. Therefore, candidate must also be able to obtain and maintain upgraded SAP/PAR.)
Preferred Qualifications:
•Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
•Active U.S. Government Top Secret SCI clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
•Differentiating characteristics include demonstrated leadership, teamwork capabilities, excellent oral and written communications skills, and strong interpersonal communication skills.
•Demonstrated professional experience developing software Java
•Can identify moderate execution defects by only reading code
•Understanding of how their embedded SW component will fit into a larger SW system / architecture
•Able to document, capture, and present software architectural components in modeling or diagramming tools
•Experience with Static & Dynamic Code Analysis
Primary Level Salary Range: $116,300.00 - $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 related engineering experience OR Master's with 6 years OR PhD with 4 years
- Active in-scope U.S. Government Top Secret clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Program Access (SAP/PAR) and upgraded SAP/PAR
- Experience with full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
- Experience programming in C/C++ and Python
- Experience developing multi-threaded software
- Experience with two of these tools: Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, GitLab, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, SonarQube, Fortify, Coverity
- Experience with Agile software development, embedded system programming, software integration and testing
- Familiarity with at least one wire data interface (e.g., 1553, 1394, Serial, CAN, Ethernet/IP, Fibre Channel)
- Proficiency in software architecture, design, implementation, integration, and debugging C++ on RTOS (VxWorks, Integrity, or Real Time Embedded Linux)
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to interface with all levels of employees and management
- Ability to collaborate with systems engineers, hardware designers, and integration/test engineers
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.







