DevOps Engineer - Level 6

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 193,000 - 289,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a DevOps Engineer - Level 6 to join our team in Redondo Beach, CA. The role focuses on designing, building, and maintaining secure cloud-native components and pipelines that meet stringent security standards.

The candidate will implement Kubernetes clusters, automate deployments with CI/CD, and collaborate with software, systems, and security engineers to ensure robust, auditable architectures. Active SCI/TS clearance is required or attainable.

Qualifications

• Experience with containerized applications (Docker).
• Experience with container orchestration (Kubernetes/OpenShift).
• Experience building software for deployment to cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP).
• Experience developing CI/CD pipelines to automate builds (Jenkins, Python, GitLab).
• Experience with Linux administration and shell scripting.
• Familiarity with microservices and RESTful APIs.
• Experience with CI/CD tools (GitLab CI, Argo CD, Defect Dojo, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps).
• Knowledge of secure software development practices (DevSecOps, threat modeling, secure coding).
• Experience with vulnerability scanning tools and image security (Nessus, Trivy, Anchore, Aqua, Clair, Twistlock).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain secure containerized software components for cloud deployments.
• Implement and maintain Kubernetes (or equivalent) clusters including networking, security, and observability.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines with security gates and automated testing.
• Perform security assessments on containerized apps and cloud deployments; drive remediation.

Skills

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Linux

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

OpenShift

Jenkins

GitLab

DevSecOps security practices

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

Helm

GitHub Actions

Argo CD

Jenkins

Nessus

Trivy

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

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’s Space Sector is seeking a DevOps Engineer - Level 6 to join our team. This position is located in Redondo Beach, CA.

*Please be aware that this position is contingent upon capturing program award(s) and obtaining and maintaining associated business and/or customer funding. Furthermore, this position is contingent upon the candidate obtaining final clearances and program access(es) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company. Continued employment thereafter will be subject to maintenance at the level of clearance and program access required for the position in the future.

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Design, develop, and maintain secure containerized software components to be deployed in cloud environments.
• Implement and maintain Kubernetes (or equivalent) clusters, including networking, security, and observability.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines that enforce security gates and automated testing.
• Perform security assessments on containerized applications and cloud deployments; drive remediation efforts.
• Develop and maintain infrastructure as code for repeatable, auditable deployments.
• Collaborate with software, systems, and security engineers to define secure architectures and deployment patterns.
• Document designs, security controls, and operational procedures for cloud deployed container platforms.

Basic Qualifications

14 years of relevant experience with Bachelor's degree; 12 years of relevant experience with Master's degree; 10 years of relevant experience with PhD; an additional 4 years of experience may be considered in lieu of degree

Must have an active SCI at time of application OR an active TS clearance at time of application with the ability to obtain SCI within a reasonable period of time as determined by the company prior to start date

• Experience developing, deploying, and maintaining containerized applications (e.g., Docker)
• Experience with container orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenShift)
• Experience building software for deployment to a commercial or private cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP, or on‑prem cloud)
• Experience developing CI/CD scripts to automate build processes (e.g., Jenkins, Python, GitLab)
• Experience with Linux administration and shell scripting
• Familiarity with microservices architectures and RESTful APIs
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI, Argo CD, Defect Dojo, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps)
• Knowledge of secure software development practices (DevSecOps, threat modeling, secure coding standards)
• Experience with vulnerability scanning tools and image security (e.g., Tenable Nessus, Trivy, Anchore, Aqua, Clair, Twistlock)

Active Security+ Certification Preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience on Space-related Program
• Experience with Kubernetes security and hardening (Pod Security Standards, network policies, admission controllers, service mesh)
• Experience with infrastructure‑as‑code tools (e.g., Terraform, Cloud Formation, Ansible, Helm)
• Familiarity with security frameworks and standards (NIST, CIS Benchmarks, RMF, Zero Trust concepts)
• Experience integrating SAST/DAST tools into CI/CD (e.g., SonarQube, Checkmarx, OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite)
• Experience implementing supply chain security (XEOL, SBOMs, signed images, secure registries)
• Knowledge of container runtime security and monitoring (e.g., Falco, Sysdig, eBPF‑based tools)
• Experience with logging, monitoring, and observability stacks (e.g., Splunk, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/EFK, OpenTelemetry)
• Experience with API gateways and service meshes (e.g., Istio, Linkerd, Envoy) in a cloud environment
• Familiarity with identity and access management in cloud platforms (IAM roles, policies, service principals)
• Familiarity with cloud networking concepts (VPCs, subnets, security groups, ingress/egress, load balancing)
• Experience working in regulated or high‑assurance environments (defense)
• Experience creating, executing, and troubleshooting complex, automated processes used to configure servers and/or deploy code

Primary Level Salary Range

$192,800.00 - $289,200.00 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.

Benefits

• health insurance coverage
• life and disability insurance
• savings plan
• Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

Application period

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.

We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space – our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future.

Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.