Software Architect - Level 5
About The Position
Northrop Grumman's Space Sector is seeking a Software Architect - Level 5 for a position in Redondo Beach, California. The role provides technical leadership and software architecture for flight and ground systems supporting space missions. The architect oversees program architecture across flight and ground software, guiding and mentoring development teams and helping them address technical roadblocks and architectural decisions. The position leads technical solutioning, software architecture, technology selection, and verification planning aligned with requirements. It defines, documents, and evolves end-to-end software architectures while coordinating across software engineering, systems engineering, hardware, and integration and test. The architect also performs technical planning and trade studies, evaluates frameworks and tools, drives system-wide trade-offs, and develops architecture, design, verification, user, and training documentation. The role includes presenting technical briefings to internal leadership and customers and collaborating with other projects, external partners, and customers on security architecture. The position supports the architecture, development, and lifecycle management of embedded and real-time systems. Employment is contingent on obtaining and maintaining required business or customer funding, final clearances, and program access; continued employment requires maintaining the clearance and access required for the role. Active SCI access is required at application. Relocation assistance may be available, and travel is 10% of the time.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline and 12 years of relevant experience, or a master's degree in a STEM discipline and 10 years of relevant experience, or a PhD in a STEM discipline and 8 years of relevant experience.
- Active SCI access at the time of application.
- Experience leading a software team.
- Full-cycle software development proficiency, from requirements through testing.
- Background in software development, design, and software architecture for complex systems.
- Experience with ground software and/or flight software development.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Agile software development practices.
- Expert-level proficiency in embedded C/C++ development.
- Extensive experience with real-time operating systems such as VxWorks.
- Experience developing software with CI/CD pipeline tools such as Jenkins.
- Proficiency creating and maintaining comprehensive software documentation throughout the development lifecycle.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a technical leader and software architect for flight and ground systems supporting space missions.
- Oversee program architecture across flight software and ground software, guiding, mentoring, and aligning development teams.
- Lead technical solutioning, including software architecture, technology selection, and verification planning aligned with requirements.
- Define, document, and evolve end-to-end software architectures.
- Lead multidisciplinary collaboration across software engineering, systems engineering, hardware, and integration and test.
- Perform technical planning and trade studies that analyze performance, cost, risk, and supportability.
- Research, evaluate, and recommend frameworks and tools to mitigate technical risks.
- Drive system-wide trade-offs and scalability decisions, balancing technical, schedule, and cost constraints while translating requirements into system solutions.
- Produce software architecture, design, verification plan, user, and training documentation.
- Develop and present technical briefings to internal leadership and customers.
- Collaborate with colleagues on other organizational projects, as well as external partners and customers, on security architecture designs.
Benefits
- Health insurance coverage
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Savings plan
- Company-paid holidays
- Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
- Possible overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus depending on the position
- Possible long-term incentives for employees in Vice President or Director positions
- Relocation assistance may be available
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
