Software Engineer - Level 2 or 3 - Space AHT
Northrop Grumman Systems
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Huntsville, AL · Posted November 3, 2026
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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)
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: 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.
Position Overview:
As a software developer on the GMD Weapon System (GWS) Fire Control (GFC) software team, you will be part of the team that writes the software (currently ~1.5 million lines of code) that evaluates and manages the threat scene for the missile defense system that protects the US. You will work in a collaborative environment to understand, implement, and test existing and new capabilities and algorithms and may participate in code modernization and translation of Ada code to C++. Many of the algorithms and capabilities implemented by the GFC team are mathematics and physics based complex solutions that will be highly visible to the GWS customer, MDA. In addition to software development, you will also be expected to support reviews of requirements and test cases that are developed in support of the GFC software team.
Basic Qualifications:
Basic Qualifications for Software Engineer (Level 2): Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline from an accredited university and 2 years of related work experience, or a Master's Degree and 0-2 years of related work experience.
Basic Qualifications for Principal Software Engineer (Level 3): Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline from an accredited university and 5 years of related work experience, or a Master's Degree and 3 years of related work experience, or 1 year of related work experience with a PhD. in STEM.
Recent and extensive experience developing software in Ada, C++ or Java
Willingness to become highly proficient with Ada software development
Strong Math and Physics background
Proven experience understanding complex algorithms and implementing them in software.
Must be able to support an in-person / closed-area work environment
Ability and willingness to travel up-to 10% to support business needs.
Applicants must have a current active in-scope DoD-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
Preferred Qualifications:
Advanced degree in mathematics or physics
Experience with Linux, scripting, and operations
Experience with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program.
Experience with Agile Project Management tools (Jira/Confluence) and DevSecOps tools and methods (Jenkins, Ansible, Git/Bitbucket) of continuous integration/continuous delivery and deployment (CI/CD) automation
This requisition is eligible for ERAP in accordance with the Space ERAP criteria - Space Employee Referral Award Program (ERAP)
#HSVSpace
https://jobs.northropgrumman.com/careers?query=HSVSpace
Primary Level Salary Range: $87,600.00 - $131,400.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $0.00 - $0.00
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.