Staff Engineer Software

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Dulles
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Top 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. Join Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and start contributing to our team of passionate professionals providing real-life solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. We take pride in creating purposeful work and allowing our employees to grow and achieve their goals every day by Defining Possible. With our competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, we have the right opportunities to fit your life and launch your career today. We have an opening for a Staff Ground Software Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals in the Tactical Space organization. This position will be in Dulles, VA. This work will primarily be performed in a SCIF environment so onsite work is required. Job Responsibilities In this role you will: Advise on integration of new emerging industry technologies to the program’s systems Implement engineering changes to the system as required Review, analyze, and incorporate technical requirements into end-to-end system architectures Willingness to work Temporary/short-term off-peak hours assignments for time constrained HW/SW integration efforts Full lifecycle design, implementation, and unit testing of software Work with various team members to integrate functionality with other software components Ability to lead a team and/or provide leadership to drive solutions of complex problems Support software working groups with the customer Develop software products from all phases of the software lifecycle Develop and share technical documentation and presentations Identify and implementing new or improved tools and processes to increase team efficiency Perform technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analyses for total systems Ensure the logical and systematic conversion of customer or product requirements into total systems solutions that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints Lead Engineering teams with program execution Mentor Engineers on all phases of the Program Support the software department, software center, and software sector in their day-to-day activities Lead a team of Software Developers, supporting their needs, training, and career growth To be successful in this role you should have: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with quick turnaround times and shifting priorities Proven troubleshooting skills and willingness to take on unfamiliar challenges In this role, you will lead a High-Side Ground Software Development team and will be expected to provide leadership to the team in areas pertaining to technical needs. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree and 12 years of relevant software experience that includes a background in software development, or a Master’s degree and 10 years of related professional experience, or a Ph.D. in 7 years of relevant software experience (in lieu of a degree additional years of experience can be considered (16 years of experience total) Must be familiar with all phases of the software development life cycle and Agile software development Prior lead or management experience in a team environment 2 years working knowledge and experience with C/C++, Java, Python, or other OOP languages 2 years of experience with Docker containerization, Kubernetes (K8s) orchestration preferred 2 years of experience in Linux tools/automation and shell scripting 2 years of experience with continuous integration/deployment tools such as Jenkins or GitLab Expert knowledge and experience developing software Experience with configuration management using industry standard tools and processes Must have an Active DoD Top Secret level clearance at the time of application, and the ability to obtain and maintain special program access Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree in computer science or computer engineering Familiarity with Rhapsody, Cameo, Eclipse, Atlassian Tools (Jira, Bitbucket, Confluence, Crucible, Bamboo) Experience with Agile methodologies Experience with containerization technology (e.g. Podman, Docker) Experience with container orchestration systems (e.g. Kubernetes) Experience with virtualization technology (e.g. VirtualBox, QEMU, KVM, vmWare) Experience with scripting (Bash, Python) Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and Atlassian tools Experience working in a DevOps culture with continuous integration / continuous deliveries “CI/CD” Preferred candidates will have demonstrated leadership of engineering personnel on a Northrop Grumman Corporation program to include software architecture oversight Hold an active Program Access clearance Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,500.00 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.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Charlottesville , Staff Engineer Software, IT / Software / Systems , Dulles, Virginia