Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeAt 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.

Designs, develops, documents, tests and debugs applications software and systems that contain logical and mathematical solutions. Conducts multidisciplinary research and collaborates with equipment designers and/or hardware engineers in the planning, design, development, and utilization of electronic data processing systems for product and commercial software. Determines computer user needs; analyzes system capabilities to resolve problems on program intent, output requirements, input data acquisition, programming techniques and controls; prepares operating instructions; designs and develops compilers and assemblers, utility programs, and operating systems. Ensures software standards are met.

Core Technical Skills

• Python proficiency – writing clean, testable code; familiarity with virtual environments, packaging, and type hints

• Embedded/hardware interfaces – UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, USB, JTAG, GPIO, PWM, ADC/DAC

• Real-time operating systems (RTOS) or bare-metal development basics

• Hardware validation tools – Oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, power supplies, test rigs

• Firmware build systems – Make, CMake for cross-compilation

• Version control – Git (branching, sub-modules, pull-request workflow)

• CI/CD for embedded – Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) runners

• Designing and implementing drivers/APIs that expose hardware functionality to Python

• Using communication protocols (Modbus, MQTT, OPC-UA) to bridge software services and devices

• Managing bootloaders, firmware upgrades, and configuration flashing

• Unit/Component testing – pytest, unittest, hypothesis for pure-Python modules

• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing – automated scripts that program devices, run stimulus, capture response, and assert results

• System-level testing – Robot Framework, TestStand, or custom Python harnesses that coordinate multiple subsystems

• Automated measurement – pyvisa / pyserial to drive test equipment and log data

• Coverage & static analysis – coverage.py, pylint, mypy

• Containerizing test environments (Docker) for simulation and host-side tools

• Managing artifact repositories for firmware binaries (Artifactory, Nexus)

• Using over-the-air (OTA) or in-field update pipelines

• Agile/Scrum or Kanban for cross-functional teams

• Familiarity with the V-model or ISO-26262-style verification flows in safety-critical domains

• Strong analytical debugging – ability to trace issues from software logs down to signal integrity on a PCB

• Clear communication with electrical engineers, firmware developers, and QA testers

• Documentation discipline – hardware interface specs, test procedures, and release notes

Position Benefits:

As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman Space Systems, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including: 

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage 

• 401k 

• Educational Assistance 

• Life Insurance 

• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions  

• Paid Time Off  

• Health & Wellness Resources  

• Employee Discounts 

This position’s standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off. This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.

Basic Qualifications:

• Principal Software Engineer: 5 Years with Bachelor’s in related field of study, 3 Years with Masters, 1 Years with PhD or 4 additional years in lieu of a degree.

• Sr. Principal Software Engineer: 8 Years with Bachelor’s in related field of study, 6 Years with Masters, 4 Years with PhD or 4 additional years in lieu of a degree.

Required for both levels:

• US Citizenship with Active DoD Secret clearance with a reinvestigation date occurring in the last 6 years.

• Ability to obtain Special Program Access (SAP).

• Ability to plan, execute, and manage the technical scope, and support leadership planning.

• Experience with Agile and working in a cross-function Scrum team.

• Working knowledge of Object-Oriented Analysis and Design principles

• Experience developing complex software solutions using C++

• Experience programming in scripting languages (Python, Bash).

• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering languages (SysML/UML) and concepts

• Experience Interpreting complex algorithms and requirements for implementation

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

• Experience with the Atlassian Tool Suite including Jira and Confluence

• Proficient with DOORS, Cameo with the ability to write and decompose system requirements

• Ability to evaluate risks and tradeoffs and present solution options to management

#Sentinelsoftware

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00The 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.