Sr Principal Engineer Software – SW Architect (26-461) Space AHT
Northrop Grumman
Listing collected from Northrop Grumman's career site. NextChapter is independent of Northrop Grumman.
Huntsville, AL · Posted October 16, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
See every open role at Northrop Grumman
More in Alabama job market · Aerospace & Defense · Engineering jobs
More roles at Northrop Grumman
- Principal Program Cost Schedule Control Analyst · McLean, VA
- Classified Cybersecurity Analyst · Baltimore, MD
- Embedded DevOps Engineer Level 4 (AHT) · Los Angeles, CA
- Manufacturing/Process Engineer 2/3 · Baltimore, MD
- Manufacturing Operations Director · Salt Lake City, UT
- Program Manager 2- 18985 · Roy, UT
Similar jobs
- Sr Software Engineer · Scientific Research · Huntsville, AL
- Principal Software Engineer-TL · Scientific Research · Huntsville, AL
- Member of Technical Staff · Concourse · New York, NY
- Senior Forward Deployed Engineer · SpruceID
- Member of Technical Staff, Pre-Training Data Quality Engineer · Reflection AI · San Francisco, CA
- Staff, Software Engineer · Walmart · Bentonville, AR
Where Huntsville, AL ranks
Where Huntsville, AL placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for aerospace and defense jobs555 openings · of 67
- #2Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Southeast$164k · of 33
- #2Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Southeast701 openings · of 65
- #3Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Southeast74 / 100 · of 33
- #6Best cities for aerospace and defense pay after cost of living$151k · of 19
- #12Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Southeast61 / 100 · of 33
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
Among software developers, AI is already used for some of the tasks. Measured exposure for software developers: 29% (some).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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 Space Systems—Missile Defense Integration offers an excellent opportunity for an NG-only Sr. Principal Engineer, Software – SW Architect (26-461) to join our team of skilled and diverse professionals. Based in Huntsville, AL, this role is essential to supporting the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at the strategic, regional, and operational levels.
This position does not provide relocation assistance and requires on-site work with no remote options.
Position Overview:
The Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) program is a key component of the Missile Defense System. It is a vital operational system that enables the U.S. president, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at strategic, regional, and operational levels to plan ballistic missile defense operations systematically, collectively monitor the battle, and dynamically control networked sensors and weapon systems to achieve global and regional mission goals. C2BMC supports layered missile defense capabilities that enable an optimized response to threats across all ranges and flight phases. It serves as a force multiplier by networking, integrating, and synchronizing autonomous sensor and weapon systems and operations, both globally and regionally, to improve performance. C2BMC is essential for all ground and flight tests that verify and demonstrate the current and future capabilities of missile defense systems.
The candidate will be a member of the C2BMC software architecture team on the Regional Applications Agile Release Train (RA ART). Responsibilities will include refining and overseeing the evolution of the software architecture for the Java‑based Regional C2BMC system and ensuring alignment with the C2BMC program's architectural design tenets. This includes providing direct technical support to the RA ART leadership team, coordinating with RA Product Teams, and coordinating with other ARTs and RMAs (such as Systems Engineering, Integration & Test, and Operations & Sustainment).
Essential Functions:
Developing, updating, and maintaining software architecture artifacts for the RA ART in line with planned updates for new C2BMC functionality
Assessing the impact of proposed software changes on the C2BMC software architecture baselines
Working with other program software and system architects to ensure that RA ART updates align with enterprise architecture, intent, and guidance
Supporting briefings, presentations, and demonstrations for the customer at Technical Interchange Meetings, quarterly reviews, and similar events
Supporting the analysis, design, and implementation of cyber requirements for the Regional C2BMC software
Coordinating with RA Product Teams and other ARTs/RMAs to ensure architectural consistency, traceability, and alignment with program-level design principles
Applying modern software architecture paradigms (e.g., scalable, maintainable, and event‑driven patterns) to guide the evolution of the Regional C2BMC system
Supporting the application of automation and CI/CD pipelines to enforce standards and drive quality and test repeatability
Clearly communicating architectural intent and constraints to a diverse group of customers, developers, engineers, subject-matter experts, and users
Performing any other tasks required by the program to support C2BMC mission objectives
Basic Qualifications:
Please list your current security clearance and IAT or relevant certifications on your resume, if applicable.
A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 8 years of experience; or a Master’s degree ( preferred ) in a related field with 6 years of relevant work experience; or 12 years of relevant work experience may be considered as an alternative to a degree
Applicants must have a current, active Government-Issued 8140 certification at IAT Level II or higher (such as Security+ CE, GSEC, SCNP, SSCP, CISSP, CISA, GSE, SCNA, etc.) at the time of application, which is required to start. The candidate is responsible for maintaining their 8140 certifications throughout the entire contract period
Applicants must have a current, active in-scope Government-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start, with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance
Occasional travel will be required for this position
Software engineering and architecture experience on large software systems, including:
Experience developing software architecture and design changes for large‑scale distributed software systems accounting for software quality factors such as reliability, integrity, usability, and testability
Experience performing logical and physical modeling of complex software systems
Experience with the Java programming language and the full software development lifecycle from initial design through development, testing, and fielding
Familiarity with Information Assurance ( IA ) and Cybersecurity principles, static and dynamic security assessment tools, Secure Technical Implementation Guides ( STIGs) , and secure system architecture
Understanding of modern software architecture paradigms such as scalable, maintainable, and event‑driven patterns
Knowledge and experience with virtualization, containerization, and orchestration; development and/or deployment into cloud‑based environments; and application of AI agents
Ability to apply automation and CI/CD pipelines to enforce standards, drive quality, and support test repeatability
The successful candidate will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, the ability to work independently in a highly dynamic environment, and the ability to represent C2BMC to the highest levels of the MDA customer
Must be a self‑starter who can initiate research and clearly document results
Preferred Qualifications:
Applicants with a current, active in-scope Government-issued Top Secret/SCI security clearance at the time of application are highly desired
Previous experience with missile defense and command‑and‑control systems, especially within an agile environment
Architecture development and coordination, defining the relationships between internal and external components
Experience communicating architectural intent and constraints to a diverse group of customers, developers, engineers, subject matter experts, and users
Experience with Test Driven Design (TDD) methodology strongly desired.
Experience working on large DoD or similar complex systems programs with geographically dispersed teams
Prior experience with the C2BMC program or similar Missile Defense Agency systems
What We Can Offer You:
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive work environment that encourages your growth, benefiting both employees and the company. The benefits are flexible and customizable, enabling you to choose options that suit your individual and family needs. Your benefits will include the following:
Health Plan
Savings Plan
Paid Time Off
Education Assistance
Training and Development
Flexible Work Arrangements
https://benefits.northropgrumman.com/us/en2/BenefitsOverview/Pages/default.aspx
#NGSpace
#COSpace
#NGFeaturedJobs
#C2BMC
#SoftwareEngineering
Primary Level Salary Range: $135,800.00 - $203,600.00
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.