Software Engineer / Principal Software Engineer
- Location:
- Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
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.
The Launch and Missile Defense Systems (LMDS) division within Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Software Engineer/Principal Software Engineer. We are excited for you to join our team of qualified and diverse individuals. Our domain provides rewarding work that contributes to the latest advancements being made in the industry. The position is located on-site in Boulder, CO. Boulder is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and only 25 miles from downtown Denver.
Position Overview:
As a Software Engineer within Advanced Programs, your experience with object-oriented programing will assist in the research, development, and growth of complex software applications. You will be working with a fast-paced and exciting research and development environment that utilizes your familiarity with modern software practices. You are expected to communicate technical information effectively and clearly, and present technical approaches and findings. Our team of motivated technical talent works closely with the end user (and each other) to ensure the direct mission applicability of developed products.
The Advanced Programs organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in efficiently solving mission challenges. Our team is chartered with providing innovative technologies to develop, design, and produce optimized product lines across multiple customers while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Advanced Programs is looking for new members to join our rapidly growing technical team as a Software Engineer based out of Boulder, CO.
Essential Functions:
- Software development using Agile Methodology.
- Tool and prototype development using C++.
- Work in cross-discipline teams and communicate clearly across various levels of engineers.
- Technical documentation as required.
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.
Basic Qualifications:
This requisition may be filled at either a Software Engineer or a Principal Software Engineer level.
Basic Qualifications for Software Engineer or Principal Software Engineer:
- Software Engineer: Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline preferred from an accredited university and 2 years of related experience or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 0 years of experience, or 6 years of related experience in lieu of a degree.
- Principal Software Engineer: Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline preferred from an accredited university and 5 years of related experience, or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years experience, or a PhD and 0 years of experience, or 9 years of related experience in lieu of a degree.
- Applicants must have a current active in-scope U.S. Government DoD issued Secret security clearance at the time of application and is required to start.
- Ability and willingness to travel up-to 10% to support business needs
- Experience with modern C++ software language (C++ 20), development tools, and integrated development environments (IDEs) and compilers.
- Experience developing in Linux environments.
- Experience with Object Oriented Programming.
- Experience with Containerization (Podman or Docker)
- Experience with container orchestration and deployment (Kubernetes and/or Docker Compose)
- Experience with DevOps and DevSecOps (Jenkins or Git Lab)
- Familiarity with revision control, documentation, planning, and review systems like Git.
- Experience with Python
- Experience with Distributed Systems and Micro-service Architecture & Observability Tools (Graphana, OpenTelemetry, RKE2/K3S/Tanzu/Docker Swarm)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Active TS/SCI clearance or eligibility
- Experience with Git, CMake and Conan
- Experience or interest in embedded software development and cross compilation (x86 vs. ARM)
- Experience with tracking algorithms and prediction filters
- Advanced Experience with Kubernetes (RKE2/K3S/Tanzu) or Docker Swarm