Ground Flight Dynamics Software Engineer (Level 3 or 4) - AHT

Relocation assistance may be available. U.S. Government Secret clearance required at time of application. Travel required: 10% of the time.

About the role

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. 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.

Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a Ground Flight Dynamics Software Engineer (Level 3 or 4) to join our team of highly qualified, diverse professionals within the Western Region Software Engineering Directorate. This position is located onsite in Redondo Beach, CA. The Western Region Software Engineering organization comprises over 800 skilled professionals—including Software Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Database Administrators, and Network Engineers—at every career stage. The organization supports numerous programs and offers ample opportunities for advancement into higher-level technical roles or leadership positions. Our culture promotes cross-program collaboration, continuous professional development, and a strong sense of community.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key interface with external stakeholders, representing Northrop Grumman (NG) in meetings with customers and external program integration partners.
• Apply strong problem-solving skills to quickly understand and address complex technical concepts.
• Prepare charts, present data, and provide recommendations to internal teams, program leadership, and external customers, demonstrating excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Manage tasking and mentor team members across multiple program schedules with tight deadlines.

Requirements

• Active U.S. Government Secret clearance required at the time of application.
• Experience using FreeFlyer or similar flight dynamics modeling software.
• Hands-on experience with astrodynamics and orbital mechanics.
• Experience programming in Python and/or MATLAB.
• Experience designing and/or optimizing satellite trajectories and maneuvers.
• Familiarity with spacecraft deployment, state estimation, and station keeping concepts.

Qualifications

Principal Software Engineer (Level 3):

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 5+ years of relevant software engineering experience, or
• Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 3+ years of stated experience, or
• Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 1+ years of stated experience.

Sr. Principal Software Engineer (Level 4):

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of relevant software engineering experience, or
• Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 6+ years of stated experience, or
• Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 4+ years of stated experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience developing software tools for constellation deployment, mission planning, and orbit raising.
• Experience with low-thrust maneuver planning and nonlinear optimization algorithms.
• Knowledge of optical crosslink planning and automation of large satellite constellations (orbit determination, ephemeris propagation, maneuver planning).
• Demonstrated ability to deliver innovative solutions for small-sat and new space missions.
• Experience presenting technical work and system design at major reviews (e.g., Preliminary/Critical Design Review (PDR/CDR)) with government customers.

Pay

Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00

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.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company-paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business