Software Test Engineer (Level 2 or 3) AHT
About The Position
Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Software Test Engineer to support verification and validation of mission-critical satellite ground software. The Space Division builds ground software that enables operators to plan missions, monitor telemetry, and process space-borne data. The software supports mission-critical capabilities that protect the nation and advance exploration. The engineer will develop, execute, and maintain manual and automated tests to verify software functionality, performance, and reliability throughout the software development lifecycle. The role works closely with Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mission Operations, and DevSecOps teams, and supports customer demonstrations and operational events that showcase ground-system capabilities. The posting offers Level 2 and Level 3 positions, with qualifications and salary ranges that vary by level.
Requirements
- Active U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance at the time of application, current and within scope.
- Level 2: Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and 2 years of professional experience, or a Master’s degree; an additional 4+ years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Level 2: Understanding of software development, including C, Python, and Bash scripting.
- Level 2: Experience designing or executing automated software tests, including framework design, CI integration, or regression suites.
- Level 2: Basic understanding of space operations.
- Level 2: Experience with requirements decomposition and translating complex requirements into clear, executable test steps and procedures.
- Level 3: Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and 5 years of professional experience, or a Master’s degree and 3 years, or a PhD and 1 year; an additional 4+ years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Level 3: Proven track record delivering complex automated-test solutions in a regulated or classified environment.
- Level 3: Understanding of software development, including C, Python, and Bash scripting.
- Level 3: Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate across hardware engineering, software development, and mission-operations teams.
- Travel up to 10% of the time.
Nice To Haves
- Top Secret SCI clearance.
- Experience with Git-based version control and collaboration tools such as Git, GitLab, Bitbucket, Jira, and Confluence.
- Experience developing automated software tests and integrating them into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitLab CI, TestComplete, PyTest, Google Test (gTest), Robot Framework, or similar technologies.
- Familiarity with cloud-native architectures such as AWS, containerization, and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
- Experience using modern software engineering practices, including DevSecOps and AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or ChatGPT, to improve software quality, test automation, and defect analysis.
Responsibilities
- Develop, execute, and maintain automated software tests for a mission-critical satellite ground system.
- Verify software functionality against requirements using simulated mission environments.
- Design and implement automated feature, capability, regression, and end-to-end system test suites.
- Help expand and modernize automated test frameworks to improve software quality, test coverage, and continuous integration and continuous testing.
- Collaborate with Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mission Operations, and DevSecOps throughout the software development lifecycle.
- Partner with Mission Operations to validate software capabilities and support operational scenarios representative of satellite flight operations.
- Support customer demonstrations and mission events by ensuring the ground system is verified, reliable, and ready for operational use.
- Develop tools and scripts to streamline software verification, automation, and test execution.
- Investigate, document, and resolve software defects identified during integration and verification.
- Participate in Agile activities, including sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.
Benefits
- Health insurance coverage.
- Life and disability insurance.
- Savings plan.
- Company-paid holidays.
- Paid time off for vacation and/or personal business.
- Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
