Principal / Senior Principal Software Engineer (Virtualization)

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Onsite in Melbourne, FL

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems seeks a Principal/Senior Principal Software Engineer (Virtualization) to design, develop, and deploy advanced virtualization solutions for lab test benches in Melbourne, FL. The role emphasizes automated provisioning, device emulation, and secure, reproducible workflows.

Ideal candidates bring deep experience across Windows/Linux, Git, and hypervisors, and are prepared to obtain SAP clearance and RHCSA certification.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in STEM with 5+ years of related experience OR MS with 3 years OR PhD with 1 year
• Active US Government Secret clearance or higher required with recent background check
• Ability to obtain and maintain SAP clearance in a reasonable time
• Willingness to obtain RHCSA certification
• Experience using Git or similar version control systems
• Experience working across Windows and Linux environments

Responsibilities

• Assist in the development of the virtual lab topology (compute, storage, networking) using standard hypervisors and container orchestration
• Develop automation scripts (IaC) for provisioning, configuration, and lifecycle management of lab resources
• Build or integrate device emulation layers exposing virtual instruments to end users via standard protocols
• Implement audit logging to meet security and compliance requirements
• Create CI/CD pipelines for continuous delivery of lab images, updates, and patches
• Produce documentation and train lab administrators
• Work with domain experts to translate experimental procedures into reproducible virtual workflows

Skills

Windows environments

Linux environments

Git experience

Education

Bachelor of Science in STEM

Master of Science in STEM

STEM Ph.D.

RHCSA certification (Willingness)

Tools

Git

Container orchestration

Hypervisors (VMware ESXi, Xen, KVM, Hyper-V)

RHEL / Linux distributions

Job description

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.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for Principal / Senior Principal Software Engineer (Virtualization ) to join the team of qualified individuals on our Test and Evaluation organization. This role is located onsite in Melbourne, FL.

This role may be filled at the Principal OR Senior Principal level based on the qualifications listed, below

In this role, the successful candidate will be responsible for the design, development, deployment, and enhancement of advanced software solutions, specifically focused on laboratory test bench virtualization for flight control, communication, and mission system functionalities. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and a commitment to driving innovative improvements.

Key Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Assist in the development of the virtual lab topology (compute, storage, networking) using industry standard hypervisors and container orchestration.
• Develop automation scripts (IaC) for provisioning, configuration, and lifecycle management of lab resources.
• Build or integrate device emulation layers that expose virtual instruments to end users via standard protocols.
• Implement audit logging to meet security and compliance requirements.
• Create CI/CD pipelines for continuous delivery of lab images, updates, and patches.
• Produce comprehensive documentation (design diagrams, SOPs, user guides) and train lab administrators.
• Work closely with domain experts to translate experimental procedures into reproducible virtual workflows.

We offer flexible work arrangements, 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.

Basic Qualifications (Principal):

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 5 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 3 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 1 years of related professional/military experience
• Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
• Willingness and ability to obtain a RedHat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification
• Experience using Git or similar version control systems
• Experience working across Windows and/or Linux environments (e.g., RHEL, Debian, Ubtuntu, or similar distributions)

Basic Qualifications (Senior Principal):

• Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline AND 8 years of related professional/military experience OR a Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline AND 6 years of related professional/military experience, OR a STEM Ph.D. AND 4 years of related professional/military experience
• Must have an active US Government Secret (or higher) clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
• Willingness and ability to obtain a RedHat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification
• Experience using Git or similar version control systems
• Experience working across Windows and/or Linux environments (e.g., RHEL, Debian, Ubtuntu, or similar distributions)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with systemd, (e.g., use of systemctl, journalctl)
• Experience with hypervisors (e.g., VMWare ESXi, Xen, kvm, Hyper-V), virtualization, and creat