Software Engineer - Level 3 or 4 - Morrisville
Northrop Grumman
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Morrisville, NC · Posted November 12, 2026
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November 2026
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: No
CLEARANCE TYPE: None
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 (NGSP) is seeking a Software Engineer Level 3 or 4 to join our team in the Payload & Ground Software Engineering organization supporting a Ground program.
The successful candidate will have Software development experience, with the ability to digest changes and synthesize them into working designs, generate efficient code according to the specifications, and adapt to changes as necessary that are driven by bugs or specification updates or the customer. You will be expected to operate independently with little oversight in a dynamic environment, and to be highly self-motivated, reporting information to leads and the customer. You will be expected to handle diverse assignments with efficiency, finding unique solutions and working in a very collaborative and fast-paced environment that continues to grow.
This position will be at our site in Morrisville, North Carolina. This position requires being on-site and does not support remote or hybrid work.
This position can be filled at either a Level 3 (Principal) or Level 4 (Sr Principal).
Basic Qualifications for Level 3 (Principal) :
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 5 years of software development experience– OR – Master’s degree with 3 years of software development experience – OR – PhD with 1 year of software development experience. May consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of degree.
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access (TS/SCI) . Approval must be obtained within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the company, to meet business needs. Not required to start, US Citizenship required.
Experience developing applications on Linux/Unix operating systems
Exposure to Agile principles, and Atlassian tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
Basic understanding of asynchronous messaging systems (e.g., NATS, ActiveMQ, gRPC, etc.)
Working knowledge of one or more server-side languages, including Python, C++, Node.js, Go, or Java
Familiarity with integrating systems using a data-driven design approach
Strong knowledge of integration best practices, focusing on subsystem interfaces, APIs, and complex workflows
Basic Qualifications for Level 4 (Sr Principal) :
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 8 years of software development experience – OR – Master’s degree with 6 years of software development experience – OR – PhD with 4 years of software development experience. May consider an additional 4+ years of experience in lieu of degree.
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access (TS/SCI) . Approval must be obtained within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the company, to meet business needs. Not required to start, US Citizenship required.
Experience developing applications on Linux/Unix operating systems
Exposure to Agile principles, and Atlassian tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
Basic understanding of asynchronous messaging systems (e.g., NATS, ActiveMQ, gRPC, etc.)
Working knowledge of one or more server-side languages, including Python, C++, Node.js, Go, or Java
Familiarity with integrating systems using a data-driven design approach
Strong knowledge of integration best practices, focusing on subsystem interfaces, APIs, and complex workflows
Preferred Qualifications
Previous experience developing Mission Management and Control software for Satelitte Ground Systems
Experience in developing security/reliable code (Unit Test, Code Coverage, SonarQube scans, Fortify)
Proficiency in developing container-based applications (podman/docker, horizontal scaling, etc.)
Proficiency in developing software using C++ and Python
Experience implementing a Data Centric software design (developing data schemas, translating between data formats
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
#SpaceEngJobs #SpaceSoftwareJobs
#MorrisvilleSpace
Primary Level Salary Range: $108,800.00 - $163,200.00
Secondary 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.