Senior Principal Engineer Software (Embedded)

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

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available 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 Aeronautics Systems Sector is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer Software (Embedded) to support the Global Surveillance Division supporting the team of qualified, diverse individuals. The program technologies include the full software lifecycle and advanced missions support in tactical applications for the warfighter. The position is in Melbourne, FL. Responsibilities include containerization and securing of applications, Operating System hardening and network security. The role requires deploying, automating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and improving the systems and software infrastructure for rapid deployment and maintainability of the infrastructure. This software role requires you to have hands-on technical experience with virtualization, environment automation and management, and continuous improvements. The Software Engineer will develop, modify, and maintain customized or standardized applications using software engineering best practices and standards, and participate in the full life cycle of software development, to include requirements development, modeling and design, application development, unit to CSCI testing, integration, formal system testing, release, installation, and maintenance. The ideal candidate will have the ability to take ownership of hard problems and drive to a solution, while working in a team environment and provide leadership for its implementation. It is critical that you understand the software development life cycle and have an in-depth knowledge of automated testing to facilitate and analyze large data sets. The Software Engineer will participate in the full life cycle of software development, to include requirements development, modeling and design, application development, unit to CSCI testing, integration, formal system testing, release, installation, and maintenance. The Software Engineer will apply technical expertise in solving complex integrations problems. The Software Engineer will interact with Program Management, external suppliers and/or government customers. Therefore, excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills are required. A solid experience in bash scripting, C/C++, or other OOP languages, in a Linux environment is required. The selected individual will play a critical role in the design, development, and delivery of the program’s deployment strategy and network architecture. Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD secret security clearance and Special Program Access is required. Essential Functions: Full lifecycle design, implementation, and unit testing of software. Work closely with engineers and technicians in a lab environment Advise on integration of new emerging industry technologies to the program’s systems Apply extensive technical expertise and have full knowledge of other related disciplines. Able to communicate effectively and clearly present technical approaches and findings. Provide technical solutions to a wide range of complex difficult problems that are imaginative, thorough, practicable, and consistent with programs objectives. Review, analyze, and incorporate technical requirements into end-to-end system architectures Responsible for implementing the network configurations as designed, and coordinating with peers, SMEs, and government engineers on hardening and securing of a system In depth understanding and wide application of technical principle, theories, and concepts in the field listed under the basic qualifications. Design, develop, document, test and debug applications software and systems that contain logical and mathematical solutions. Conduct multidisciplinary research when needed and collaborates with equipment designers and/or hardware engineers in the planning, design, development, and utilization of electronic data processing systems for product. Work with various team members to integrate functionality with other software components. Provide technical solutions to a wide range of complex difficult problems. Solutions are imaginative, thorough, practicable, and consistent with organization objectives. Supporting the gathering and reporting software metrics. Follow program software best practices. Develop software products within all phases of the software lifecycle. Able to work independently and identify solutions to complex problems. Represents the organization as the prime technical contact on contracts and projects. Interacts with senior external personnel on significant technical matters often require coordination between organizations. Basic Qualifications: (Sr. Principal Engineer Software) bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited university and 8 or more years of experience in software engineering OR a Master’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 6 or more years of experience in software engineering. A dditional years of experience. Development experience with C/C++ or other OOP languages. Extensive experience (8 years) with Windows, Linux, and/or real-time operating systems like LynxOS or VxWorks. In-depth knowledge of aviation or safety-critical systems and a strong understanding of safety-critical software development protocols. Experience with debugging software in both desktop and target environments including remote environments Excellent oral and written communication skills and Strong interpersonal skills. Experience with Agile software development. Experience with configuration management using industry standard tools and processes. Proficiency in creating and maintaining comprehensive software documentation throughout the development lifecycle. Familiarity with the Atlassian tool suite, plugins, Git and Confluence. Experience with Firewall, VPN, switch, and router configuration Experience with configuration and management of Cisco, Palo Alto, or Juniper network appliances Experience with authentication and data encryption methods, to include securing communications at either the datalink or network layer Active certification at DOD 8570 IAT Level II (Security) Must be a US citizen with ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret level security clearance. Ability to obtain and maintain special program access. Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree in a (STEM) Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics discipline from an accredited university with 10 year’s software development experience. Experience developing software within the SELinux environment. Familiarity with the Atlassian tool suite with add-ons like Git and Confluence. Full software development life cycle experience. Practical experience with DO-178C or equivalent safety-critical software standards. Detailed knowledge of avionics communication protocols, including ARINC 429, ARINC 422, and MIL-STD-1553. Experience in embedded testing environments, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) for avionics systems. Familiarity with the certification processes of aviation industry standards, such as RTCA/DO-178 for software. Demonstrated ability to function effectively in a team environment and interact successfully with engineering counterparts in various disciplines. Experience with collaborative software development tools, such as the GitLab suite, focusing on version control systems like Git. 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) Experience with network security (SELinux, CIPSO, SECMARK) Experience with multilevel security solutions Experience with Cisco, Palo Alto, or Juniper Experience with the NCDSMO cybersecurity standards Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and Atlassian tools Experience with IBM DOORS (Requirements Management) and SysML tools like Cameo Systems Modeler/MagicDraw (Model-Based Systems Engineering/MBSE) US citizen with a current in scope DoD secret or higher clearance. Currently the holder of a special program access. Primary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00 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, Melbourne , Senior Principal Engineer Software (Embedded), IT / Software / Systems , Melbourne, Florida