Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems – Research & Advanced Design (R&AD) transforms breakthrough ideas into mission-ready capabilities through intelligent anticipation. We’re the front-end design engine, defining what comes next. From developing cutting-edge next-generation future aircraft to trailblazing collaborative autonomous platforms, we push the boundaries of technology and forge industry-leading partnerships that set new standards for what’s possible.
Our team owns the full lifecycle of advanced concept creation, from visionary early-stage designs and rapid prototyping to high-impact demonstrations and solving the toughest technical challenges in survivability, autonomy, and battle management. We seek curious, adaptable people who thrive on turning intuition into breakthrough solutions. If you’re driven to invent the future, build what’s next, and shape the landscape of national security, this is where you belong.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Software Engineer or Principal Software Engineer position to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals onsite in El Segundo, CA.
You will report to the Advanced Autonomy Team and will be a key member of their mission autonomy software group working with unmanned autonomous aircraft platforms and their support systems.
In this role you will help develop mission autonomy software and infrastructure in C++ that interacts directly with our autonomous flight testbed. In addition you may work with external partners to onboard their autonomy code into our systems. You will deploy software utilizing containerization and associated technology. You will work with a multi-disciplinary team including Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Cloud & Application, Dev*Ops, in an Agile software development environment.
The individual we seek will be self-motivated, proactive, goal-oriented to help us grow our services, become even better at what we do and will possess the following qualifications.
**This role may be filled at either the Software Engineer or a Principal Software Engineer level based on the qualifications below.**
Engineer Software: Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline with 2 years of engineering related experience or a Masters in STEM with 0 years of related engineering experience
Principal Engineer: Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline with 5 years of engineering related experience or a Masters in STEM with 3 years of related engineering experience
Experience with Python, C++, and Linux based development environments
Experience with Object Oriented Programming concepts, and test-driven development practices
Experience with Agile best practices and processes.
Knowledge of software engineering practices and patterns for the full software/hardware/network development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, and testing
Experience implementing containerized software using open standards such as OCI (Open Container Initiative)
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience implementing on-board mission system software.
Experience developing Mission Autonomy software for tasking, routing, or other behaviors
Experience with Government Reference Architectures like OMS/UCI and A-GRA
Knowledge or experience with software infrastructure as code for technologies such as (Kubernetes/K3s, Podman/Docker, Helm, etc.)
Experience with Operating System fundamentals such as memory management, scheduling, and concurrency.
At Northrop Grumman we are invested in the growth and well-being off all our employees. We offer flexible work arrangements, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment.
Our Total Rewards Program offers a comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00Job details are sourced from the employer's original posting.
Open job postingAbout the company
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company.