Deputy Software Lead (level 5) [Active TS/SCI req’d at application]
- Locations:
- Aurora, Colorado, United States
- 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 using science, technology and engineering 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.
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 Space Systems (NGSP) seeks to find a Software Engineer in the Payload and Ground Systems Division Engineering organization supporting the Integrated National Systems (INS) Business Unit (BU) to support a Ground program.
We are seeking a motivated and experienced Deputy Software Lead to support a critical cloud-based program leveraging AWS infrastructure, Kubernetes for orchestration, and a Python-based codebase. In this role, you will work closely with the Software Lead and cross-functional teams to guide technical execution, ensure software quality, and drive team productivity.
Job responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following: Support the Software Lead in overseeing the development lifecycle, including planning, development, testing, and deployment. Serve as a technical mentor and resource for team members. Collaborate with DevOps, security, and infrastructure teams to ensure smooth deployments and system reliability. Review and contribute to Python codebase with attention to scalability, performance, and maintainability. Participate in architecture and design discussions. Assist in managing sprints, task assignments, and progress tracking. Ensure alignment with best practices for AWS cloud-native development and Kubernetes-based deployment.
This position will be at our Aurora, CO site. This position requires being onsite and does not support remote or hybrid work.
Basic Qualifications
Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance
Ability to pass a Counterintelligence Polygraph (CI-Poly) (not required to start)
Bachelor’s degree in science with 12+ years of software development experience; 10+ years of relative experience with a Master's; or 4 additional years of relative experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Strong proficiency in Python
Hands-on experience with AWS services (EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, CloudFormation, etc.)
Solid understanding of Kubernetes (Helm charts, service discovery, autoscaling, etc.)
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and tools such as GitLab CI, Jenkins, or similar.
Experience with Agile methodologies and tools like Jira
Preferred Qualifications
STEM degree
Experience leading or supporting distributed teams
Knowledge of container security best practices
Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform
Exposure to monitoring and logging tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, or CloudWatch
Strong communication and collaboration abilities
Problem-solving mindset and proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues
Ability to juggle multiple tasks and prioritize in a fast-paced environment