Sr. Principal Software Engineer (Feature Lead)

Northrop Grumman • Redondo Beach, CA

7d • $142,200 - $213,400 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman's Space Sector is seeking a Sr. Principal Software Engineer (Level 4) to join our team of highly qualified, diverse professionals within the Western Region Software Engineering Directorate. This position is located onsite in Redondo Beach, CA. The Western Region Software Engineering organization comprises over 800 skilled professionals—including Software Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Database Administrators, and Network Engineers—at every career stage, from early‑career engineers to senior chief engineers and architects. The organization supports numerous programs and offers ample opportunities for advancement into higher‑level technical roles or leadership positions. Our culture promotes cross‑program collaboration, continuous professional development, and a strong sense of community.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of relevant software engineering experience or Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 6+ years of stated experience or Ph.D. in a STEM discipline with 4+ years of stated experience.
• Active U.S. Government Secret clearance required at the time of application.
• Demonstrated ability to create modular, reusable software architectures that reduce code footprint while improving maintainability and scalability.
• Extensive hands‑on experience with CI/CD pipelines for automated system builds, testing, and deployment.
• Strong understanding of mission‑planning workflows, with a proven track record of integrating operational constraints and real‑world mission requirements.
• Direct experience supporting or developing tools for LEO satellite constellations or ground systems.

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in developing and refactoring mission‑critical ground software, including backend systems (Python, C, C++) and operator‑facing front‑end tools (React JS or similar).
• Proven leadership in managing tasks and mentoring team members across dynamic program schedules with tight deadlines.
• Experience building software for proliferated constellations and their associated ground systems, covering mission planning, data telemetry, and command‑and‑control workflows.
• Proficiency with Python, FastAPI, MongoDB, Flask, Docker, AWS Lambda, DynamoDB, Angular, SQS, EFS, and S3.
• Comprehensive understanding of zero‑trust security architectures and secure‑by‑design principles for mission‑critical software.
• Strong background in multi‑tenant, plug‑and‑play ground‑system concepts, including cloud‑native implementations using AWS services (Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, etc.).
• Familiarity with compatibility testing and hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments to ensure operational readiness and reliability under realistic mission conditions.
• Knowledge or certification in Agile development methodologies, with experience in iterative design and rapid prototyping to respond dynamically to evolving mission architectures.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, document, integrate, test, and debug software solutions for end‑user customers and internal business applications.
• Debug, troubleshoot, and integrate components within large‑scale distributed systems.
• Lead the architecture, development, and lifecycle management of ground‑systems software.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams—including Systems Engineering, Digital Engineering, Hardware, and Integration & Test—within an Agile development environment.
• Analyze system capabilities to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to program intent, output requirements, data acquisition, programming methods, and control strategies.
• Create modular, reusable software architectures that reduce code footprint while improving maintainability and scalability.
• Utilize CI/CD pipelines for automated builds, testing, and deployment.
• Work with mission‑planning workflows to incorporate operational constraints and real‑world mission requirements.
• Support and develop tools for LEO satellite constellations or ground systems.
• Apply strong problem‑solving skills to quickly grasp complex concepts.
• Prepare charts, present data, and make recommendations to internal teams, program leadership, and external customers using excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• 401k
• Educational Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness Resources
• Employee Discounts
• Flexible Schedules: for example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior