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Software Engineer – Level 3 or 4

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: 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 Space Systems, Multi-Domain Operations, Missile Defense Integration Business Unit (BU) has an exciting career opportunity for a Software Engineer – Level 3 or 4 to join our team of qualified, diverse, and innovative individuals located in Colorado Springs, CO.

Position Overview:

As a software developer supporting Internal Research and Development (IRAD), you will work in a collaborative environment to understand system requirements and perform software development for an innovative Fire Control System.  In addition to software development you will also be expected to support reviews of requirements and test cases that are developed for the software capability.

Essential Functions:

  • 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 and development of product software.
  • Ensures software standards are met.

Seeking candidates who find satisfaction in working on challenging and diverse assignments in collaborative settings across all levels.

This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on qualifications listed below.

This requisition may be filled at either a Principal Software Engineer – Level 3 or a Sr. Principal Software Engineer – Level 4.

Basic Qualifications (Principal Software Engineer – Level 3): 

  • Bachelor’s degree in STEM related field, and 5 years of related experience, or a Master’s degree with 3 years of related experience, or 1 year with a PhD.
  • Applicants must have a current, active in-scope DoD-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
  • Recent and extensive Experience Developing Software in C++ or Java 
  • Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% to support business needs
  • Must be able to support an in-person / closed-area work environment 

Basic Qualifications (Sr. Principal Software Engineer – Level 4): 

  • Bachelor’s degree in STEM related field, and 8 years of related experience, or a Master’s degree with 6 years of related experience, or 4 years with a PhD.
  • Applicants must have a current, active in-scope DoD-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
  • Recent and extensive Experience Developing Software in C++ or Java 
  • Quick to learn and absorb new concepts and information
  • Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% to support business needs
  • Must be able to support an in-person / closed-area work environment 

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Highly experienced with Linux, scripting, and operations 
  • Experience with automated software requirements, testing and analysis 
  • Experience with battle management and/or fire control systems
  • Experience developing software in a Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) environment.
  • Experience with Behavior Driven Development (BDD) using tools like Gherkin and Cucumber for automated acceptance testing
  • Experience with Software Change Control, Change Management, Code Quality, Static Analysis, and CI/CD tools such as: Atlassian tool suite, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, SonarQube, Coverity, and Jenkins.
  • Advanced degree in Mathematics or Physics or Computer Science

Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00

The 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.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States, building advanced systems across space, air, land, sea, and cyber domains. The company is known for some of the most complex defense programs in the world, including stealth aircraft, autonomous systems, missile defense technologies, satellites, and space-based intelligence platforms that support U.S. national security operations.

For job seekers, Northrop Grumman offers careers across a wide range of high-impact fields including aerospace engineering, software development, cybersecurity, systems engineering, manufacturing, program management, and intelligence support. The company is especially attractive to veterans, cleared professionals, and engineers who want to work on mission-critical systems that directly support the Department of Defense and intelligence community. Many roles involve long-term programs with significant technical depth and real-world operational impact.

Unlike smaller defense startups focused on narrow capabilities, Northrop Grumman operates across multiple major mission areas, giving employees exposure to highly advanced programs such as stealth platforms, space systems, autonomous vehicles, and next-generation command-and-control systems. The company is also a major leader in classified space and intelligence systems, where cutting-edge engineering and secure infrastructure play a critical role in national defense.

As global competition in space, cyber, and advanced military systems continues to intensify, Northrop Grumman remains one of the most strategically important employers in the defense industry. For professionals seeking stable, highly technical careers with long-term impact on national security, Northrop Grumman continues to stand out as a leading destination in aerospace and defense.

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