Software Engineer (26-420)

About the role

At Northrop Grumman, our employees work on revolutionary systems that impact lives around the world today and for generations to come. Our pioneering spirit has placed us at the forefront of many technological advancements—from the first trans‑Atlantic flight, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We seek individuals with bold ideas, courage, and a pioneering spirit to join us in inventing the future while having fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity, and bringing your whole self to work, driven by an insatiable desire to achieve what others think is impossible.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems—Missile Defense Integration offers a Software Engineer (26‑420) position based in Huntsville, AL. This role supports the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at strategic, regional, and operational levels within the Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) program. The position requires on‑site work with no remote options, does not provide relocation assistance, necessitates a current active Secret security clearance, and involves up to 10% travel for business needs.

The C2BMC program is a vital operational system that enables systematic planning of ballistic missile defense operations, collective battle monitoring, and dynamic control of networked sensors and weapon systems to achieve global and regional mission goals. It serves as a force multiplier by networking, integrating, and synchronizing autonomous sensor and weapon systems, supporting layered missile defense capabilities and all ground and flight tests that verify current and future missile defense capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain software in Java/J2EE (and other object‑oriented technologies as appropriate) to support Regional Applications within the C2BMC program
• Work within an Agile team environment to implement new features, enhance existing capabilities, and resolve complex problems in support of operational missile defense missions
• Translate requirements and systems engineering artifacts—including Use Cases and SysML diagrams—into robust, maintainable software components
• Apply and adhere to established software engineering practices, including:
  • Coding standards and code reviews
  • Automated testing (unit, integration, and/or system tests)
  • Automated build pipelines and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD)
  • Configuration management and version control
• Participate in the full software development lifecycle: analysis, design, implementation, integration, test, and deployment
• Perform analysis and provide technical support for systems software products, including complex problem resolution and performance optimization
• Debug, troubleshoot, and configure software in development, integration, and operational environments
• Work from specifications to develop or modify operating system–level applications and services supporting C2BMC
• Collaborate closely with other system support groups, including systems engineering, integration, test, and operations, to resolve issues and improve overall system efficiency and reliability
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation, including design descriptions, test plans, test results, and user support materials
• Support user inquiries and provide technical expertise to sustain and improve fielded mission capabilities
• Contribute to continuous improvement of team processes, tools, and practices to increase quality, resiliency, and delivery speed

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 2 years of experience; or a Master’s degree in a related field with 1 year of relevant work experience; or 6 years of relevant work experience may be considered as an alternative to a degree
• Applicants must have a current, active in‑scope Government‑issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
• Understanding of software engineering and software development, with experience in Java/J2EE or another object‑oriented (OO) language (additional experience with C++ is also desired)
• Knowledge of modern software practices such as:
  • Coding standards and peer reviews
  • Automated testing (e.g., unit and integration tests)
  • Automated build pipelines and CI/CD
  • Configuration management and version control
• Ability to work effectively in a rapidly collaborative team environment
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey technical information to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• Understanding of standard systems engineering design artifacts, such as Use Cases and SysML diagrams, and how they drive software design and implementation
• Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time for business needs, if required by the program

Skills

• Knowledge of Agile software development methodologies and experience working on Agile teams
• Experience developing and maintaining enterprise applications on Linux‑based systems (Windows experience also desired)
• Familiarity with DevSecOps concepts, practices, and/or build and release management
• Willingness to take on unanticipated tasking and learn new technologies or domains as needed to support mission objectives
• Hands‑on experience with common software development and management tools, such as:
  • Maven or similar build tools
  • Git/GitHub or other distributed version control systems
  • Nexus or comparable artifact repository managers
  • Eclipse or similar integrated development environments (IDEs)
• Experience developing, integrating, or sustaining software in large, complex, distributed systems
• Prior experience on the C2BMC program or with missile defense, command and control, or other Department of Defense (DoD) systems

Benefits

• Health Plan
• Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Education Assistance
• Training and Development
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Pay

Primary Level Salary Range: $87,600.00 - $131,400.00. 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. 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.