Among computer occupations, all other, AI is already used for a large share of the tasks. Measured exposure for computer occupations, all other: 31% (high).

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.

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About the job

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be 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.

Come join Northrop Grumman   – Xetron , part of the Mission Systems sector, where we develop new capabilities for our military and intelligence customers around the globe. At Xetron we design systems that only science fiction writers could imagine, because they’re that cool!

Xetron is an operating unit of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, located in Cincinnati, Ohio where employees have the chance to know everyone on site while working on cutting‑edge technologies and high‑impact products. You’ll tackle the next generation of challenging problems, share expertise, and learn from world‑class teammates. Remember when you were excited about the challenge of the problem, the importance of the solution, and the fun you had with your team? You’ll experience that at Xetron! See why we receive comments on our YouTube Videos like “This company is insanely advanced” and “Wow. This is mind blowing.”

We are seeking cleared Cyber Software Test Engineers and cleared Principal Cyber Software Test Engineers who are self‑motivated and energetic, with a background in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical disciplines.

Responsibilities:

This position involves testing of developed solutions to national security threats with products that may involve kernel development, reverse engineering, or vulnerability research of network and communication systems. The position requires solid software development skills and test capabilities, including familiarity with scripting languages. Knowledge of computer networking, modern software development environments, embedded programming, automated software testing tools and software configuration management tools is a plus.

You may be helping review system requirements. You will be testing Software to ensure it meets system requirements both manually and with automated scripts to conduct testing. And you may be involved in writing software test procedures and writing automated scripts, and verification and validation testing with guidance.

This position can be filled at the Level Engineer or Principal Engineer level :

Basic Qualifications for Cyber Software Test Engineer Level (level 2) :

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering with 2 years relevant work experience; or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering with no relevant experience.

Programming and automation experience in Python with debugging and/or system analysis tools (e.g., Wireshark, IDAPro, OllyDebug, WinDBG, JTAG debuggers.)

Must be willing to work full-time onsite in Cincinnati, OH.

US Citizenship required.

Must have an active Secret clearance or higher with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Clearance.

Basic Qualifications for Principal Cyber Software Test Engineer Level (level 3)

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering with 5 years relevant work experience; or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering with 3 years relevant work experience; or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering with 1-year relevant work experience.

Programming and automation experience in Python with debugging and/or system analysis tools (e.g., Wireshark, IDAPro, OllyDebug, WinDBG, JTAG debuggers.)

Must be willing to work full-time onsite in Cincinnati, OH.

US Citizenship required.

Must have an active Secret clearance or higher with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications for both levels:

Active TS/SCI Clearance with Polygraph.

Experience as Technical Lead leading teams of 2-8 engineers.

Advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.

Experience in software development to include any of the following: kernel mode, embedded, command and control, web applications, network applications.

Experience with SDLC (software development life cycle.)

Familiarity with Assembly Languages (e.g., x86, x64, MIPS, PPC, or ARM.)

Experience with vulnerability research on one or more operating systems (Android, IOS, Windows, Linux, etc.)

Experience with emulation (Renode, QEMU, etc.)

Experience with reverse engineering compiled binaries using industry-standard tools such as Ghidra or IDA Pro.

OS Internals experience.

Development of lower-level networking protocols such as TCP/IP and UDP.

Understanding of return-oriented programming (ROP) concepts and execution.

Ability to understand secure / insecure programming concepts (format string vulnerabilities, heap overflows, etc.)

Familiarity with modern source control platforms (e.g., Git, GitHub, GitLab) and CI/CD workflows using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and GitLab CI.

Experience with the Agile methodology.

Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $113,900.00 - $170,900.00

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.