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Principal Software Engineer

Northrop Grumman
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Palmdale, CA, USA
Sep 21, 2026
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: Top SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Principal Software Engineer to join our team on site in San Diego, CA, Palmdale, CA, El Segundo, CA or Oklahoma City, OK. The candidate should be a self-starter with familiarity working in an Integrated Product Team construct. This position will be part of the Models & Simulation team, participate in planning, integration, and delivery of software releases, and troubleshooting technical issues.

Roles and Responsibilities will include:

•Develop, implement, and maintain modular simulation and modeling software (e.g., C++, Python) to support system behaviors and scenarios.

•Integrate simulation components with system interfaces, middle-ware, and test harnesses; ensure interoperable data flows and real-time performance.

•Design and execute verification and validation tests, analyze results, identify defects, and implement fixes to ensure model fidelity and accuracy.

•Optimize simulation performance and scalability; profile code, reduce latency, and support CI/CD pipelines for automated builds and deployments.

•Collaborate with systems engineers, testers, and stakeholders to translate requirements into simulation scenarios, produce technical documentation, and support 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 10% may be required.

Basic Qualifications:

•Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 1 year of related engineering experience.

•Demonstrated professional experience developing software in C/C++

•Demonstrated professional experience with software change control, and change management such as: Atlassian tool suite, GitHub, AND/OR GitLab

•Demonstrated Professional Experience with the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

•Active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).

•Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Access Program (SAP) access via a Program Access Request (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.

•Ability to obtain and maintain subsequent SAP PARs following commencement of employment to be able to completely support statement of work.

Preferred Qualifications:

•Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.

•Demonstrated professional experience developing software in Python

•Differentiating characteristics include demonstrated leadership, teamwork capabilities, excellent oral and written communications skills, and strong interpersonal communication skills at all levels of employees and management.

•Demonstrated professional experience developing software Java

•Experience with software network interfaces -and troubleshooting networks (TCP/IP, UDP, LAN, VLAN, SNMP or others).

•Experience in safety‑critical embedded real‑time software on RTOS platforms

•Demonstrated professional experience with static code analysis tools such as: Coverity, SonarQube, AND/OR Fortify

Primary Level Salary Range: $93,300.00 - $171,000.00The 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.

Job ID

R10247917|loc2

Security Clearance

Top Secret
About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees are Defining Possible every day to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will allow you to work together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines.

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