Staff Software Engineer
Northrop Grumman
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San Diego, CA · Posted October 15, 2026
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November 2026
- #1Cities hosting the most business conferences in the West Coast78 conferences · of 17
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Pay compared with the market
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About the job
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Staff Software Engineer to join our team on site in San Diego, CA or El Segundo, CA . The candidate should be a self-starter with familiarity working in an Integrated Product Team construct.
Roles and Responsibilities will include :
• Develop and maintain new and existing software applications.
• Leverage modern technologies and practices to rapidly develop, integrate, test, and deploy new software capabilities.
• Collaborate with a cross functional team to diagnose and address software and system problems found throughout the system lifecycle.
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required.
Basic Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 12 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 10 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience.
• Experience with the full software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Experience with some of the following programming and scripting languages: C, C++, Java, and Python.
• Experience with Agile software development, object-oriented programming, embedded system programming, software integration and testing.
• Experience with some of the following: Jira, GitLab, Docker, Fortify, Coverity, Black Duck, or similar DevOps tools
• Your ability to obtain and maintain an adjudicated U.S. government Top Secret clearance (must be in-scope or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation) and any program access(es) required for the position within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the Company.
• Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Access Program (SAP) access via a Program Access Request (PAR). This
SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs.
• Ability to obtain and maintain subsequent SAP PARs following commencement of employment to be able to completely support statement of work.
Preferred Qualifications :
• Experience with developing multi-threaded software used for one of the following real-time applications: flight critical, safety, medical, or mission critical software.
• Ability to identify moderate execution defects by only reading code.
• Understanding of how their embedded software will fit into a larger software system.
• Ability to document, capture, and present software architectural components in modeling or diagramming tools.
• Experience with software running on Real-Time Operating systems such as: VxWorks, Integrity, and/or Real Time Embedded Linux.
• Experience with Docker Containers and RHEL 8.10 or later.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management.
• Active in-Scope, U.S. Government Top Secret clearance
• Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) access.
Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the 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 as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.