Software Architect - Level 6
About The Position
Northrop Grumman's Space Sector is seeking a Software Architect - Level 6 to work in Redondo Beach, California. The role serves as a technical leader and software architect for flight and ground systems supporting space missions, overseeing program architecture across Flight Software and Ground Software. The architect works with engineers across integrated product teams to guide design and architecture, mentor development teams, and help resolve complex technical and architectural challenges. The position leads technical solutioning, software architecture and technology selection, and verification planning in alignment with requirements. It defines, documents, and evolves end-to-end software architectures and coordinates multidisciplinary work across software engineering, systems engineering, hardware, and integration and test. The architect performs technical planning and trade studies, researches frameworks and tools to mitigate technical risks, and drives system-wide trade-offs and scalability decisions within technical, schedule, and cost constraints. The role also produces architecture and design documentation, verification plans, user documentation, and training materials, and presents technical briefings to internal leadership and customers. It collaborates with other organizational projects on security architecture designs, as well as with external partners and customers. The ideal candidate can support the architecture, development, and lifecycle management of embedded and real-time systems; understand how system requirements apply to system design; and troubleshoot complex systems. Employment is contingent upon obtaining and maintaining required business or customer funding, clearances, and program access. An active SCI access is required when applying.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 14 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree in a STEM discipline with 12 years of relevant experience, or a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 10 years of relevant experience.
- Must have 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 with software development using CI/CD pipeline tools such as Jenkins.
- Proficiency in creating and maintaining comprehensive software documentation throughout the development lifecycle.
- Experience supporting or leading proposal activities.
- Proficiency in writing system requirements and making key trade-offs in code efficiency, memory utilization, and cost.
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, coordinating with engineers across IPT teams on design and architecture activities.
- Guide, mentor, and align development teams and help resolve technical roadblocks and architectural decisions.
- Lead technical solutioning, software architecture, technology selection, and verification planning in alignment with requirements.
- Define, document, and evolve end-to-end software architectures.
- Lead multidisciplinary collaboration across Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Hardware, and Integration & Test.
- Perform technical planning and trade studies analyzing performance, cost, risk, and supportability.
- Research, evaluate, and recommend frameworks and tools to mitigate core technical risks.
- Drive system-wide trade-offs and scalability decisions while balancing technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
- Produce software architecture and design documentation, verification plans, user documentation, and training materials.
- Develop and present technical briefings to internal leadership and customers.
- Collaborate with other organizational projects on security architecture designs, and work with external partners and customers.
- Support architecture, development, and lifecycle management of embedded and real-time systems.
- Understand system requirements and how they apply to system design, and troubleshoot complex systems.
Benefits
- Health insurance coverage
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Savings plan
- Company-paid holidays
- Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
- Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus, depending on the position.
- Annual bonuses designed to reward individual contributions and allow employees to share in company results.
- Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.
- Relocation assistance may be available.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
