Sr Principal Software Engineer

Relocation assistance may be available. Active in-scope U.S. Government Top Secret clearance required at start; must also be able to obtain and maintain Special Program Access (SAP/PAR) prior to commencement. Travel up to 10% of the time.

About the role

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Senior Principal Software Engineer to join our Models & Simulation team on site in San Diego, CA, El Segundo, CA, Palmdale, CA, or Oklahoma City, OK. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with experience working in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment. In this role, you will lead the planning, integration, and delivery of software releases, as well as diagnose and resolve complex technical issues.

This is a full-time, on-site position with no remote/hybrid/telework available. Travel up to 25% may be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for the development, implementation, and maintenance of modular simulation and modeling software (e.g., C++, Python), guiding the team in architecture, standards, and best practices.
• Lead the integration of simulation components with system interfaces, middleware, and test harnesses; establish integration strategies and ensure interoperable data flows and real-time performance across the team.
• Define and oversee verification and validation strategies, review test plans and results, and direct the resolution of defects to ensure model fidelity, accuracy, and traceability to requirements.
• Drive performance and scalability optimization efforts; set priorities for profiling and tuning, reduce latency, and champion CI/CD pipelines for automated builds, testing, and deployments.
• Coordinate with systems engineers, testers, and stakeholders to translate requirements into simulation capabilities and scenarios; review and approve technical documentation; and lead technical presentations and demonstrations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related engineering experience.
• Experience with the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Experience with C/C++ and Python programming and scripting languages.
• Experience with two of the following tools: Jira, Crucible, Bitbucket, Gitlab, Subversion, Bamboo, Jenkins, Sonarqube, Fortify, or Coverity.
• Experience with Agile software development, embedded system programming, software integration, and testing.
• Familiarity with at least one wire data interface: 1553, 1394, Serial, CAN, Ethernet/IP, or Fibre Channel.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management.
• Ability to collaborate with systems engineers, hardware designers, and integration/test engineers to develop and maintain complex software systems.
• Active in-scope U.S. Government Top Secret clearance.
• Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Program Access (SAP/PAR) prior to commencement of employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
• Active U.S. Government Top Secret SCI clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
• Experience and proficiency in software architecture, design, implementation, integration, and debugging C++ software running on Real-Time Operating systems such as: VxWorks, Integrity, and/or Real-Time Embedded Linux.
• Experience with developing multi-threaded software.
• Demonstrated leadership, teamwork capabilities, excellent oral and written communications skills, and strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Professional experience developing software in Java.
• Ability to identify moderate execution defects by reading code.
• Understanding of how embedded software components fit into a larger software system/architecture.
• Ability to document, capture, and present software architectural components in modeling or diagramming tools.
• Experience with Static & Dynamic Code Analysis.

Pay

Primary level salary range: $116,300.00 - $213,400.00. The above salary range represents a general guideline; Northrop Grumman considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, 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 and 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 and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.