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Sr Principal Software Quality Engineer

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI

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.

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems in air and space that impact people’s lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our work preserves freedom and democracy and advances human discovery and our understanding of the universe. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage, and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future and have a lot of 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 Mission Systems Sector is seeking a Sr. Principal Software Quality Engineer to support the Navigation, Intelligence and Connectivity Division supporting the team of qualified, diverse individuals. 

This position will be in Cincinnati, OH.

What You’ll Get To Do:

  • Develops, modifies, applies, and maintains standards for software quality operating methods, processes, systems and procedures

  • Conducts software inspection, and witnesses testing, verification and validation

  • Implements software development and maintenance processes and methods

  • Ensures measures meet acceptable reliability standards

  • Develops overall operating criteria to ensure implementation of the software quality program according to project, process and contract requirements and objectives

  • Ensures that project and process control documentation are compliant with requirements, objectives and/or contract, and performs process audits

  • Performs or directs verification of software requirement allocations, traceability, and testability

  • Reviews software design, change specifications, and plans against contractual and/or process requirements

  • Reviews include applicable specifications, materials, tools, techniques, and methodologies

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with proven experience presenting findings to senior leadership

Basic Qualifications for Senior Principal Software Quality Engineer:

  • Bachelor's degree with 8 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 6 years of relevant experience; an additional 4 years of experience may be considered in lieu of Bachelor’s degree

  • Proven SDLC experience on disciplined, mature development teams that use Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, or hybrid processes. Ability to map quality activities to each phase

  • Mission Assurance and QMS experience – ensuring mission/program success through independent reviews, audits, approvals, proactive risk management, process improvement, etc.

  • Experience conducting internal audits, writing audit reports, performing root-cause analysis and writing corrective action plan

  • Ability to write comprehensive Test Plans and Quality Plans

  • Experience with Jira, GitLab, Azure DevOps

  • US Government TS/SCI Clearance

  • U.S. Citizenship Required

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Familiarity with DoD acquisition regulations (DFARS, FAR), AS9100, MIL-STD

  • Knowledge of RCCA process

  • Good understanding of the specific AS9100 Standards impacting program performance

  • Excellent data analysis skills

  • Accredited certification in a Software, Quality and/or Mission assurance field

Primary Level Salary Range: $117,500.00 - $176,300.00

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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