Principal/Sr. Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Active Secret)

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 114,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401k

Educational assistance

Life insurance

Employee assistance programs

Paid time off

Flexible schedules

Job summary

Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer to lead architecture and lifecycle management for embedded systems. The role requires an active Secret clearance and offers competitive salary ranges from $114k to $171k based on level and qualifications.

The ideal candidate should have substantial experience in software development, particularly in C/C++, and be proficient in real-time operating systems like VxWorks and FreeRTOS. Benefits include medical coverage, 401k, and educational assistance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software development experience for Level 3, or 8+ years for Level 4.
• Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance required.
• Experience integrating low-level firmware and software in complex real-time systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop software solutions for customers.
• Lead the architecture and lifecycle management of systems.
• Collaborate with teams in an Agile environment.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Real-time operating systems

Object-oriented programming

Troubleshooting and debugging

Agile development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline

Master’s degree in a STEM discipline

Ph.D. in a STEM discipline

Tools

VxWorks

FreeRTOS

RT-Linux

GH Integrity

Job description

Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector seeks an experienced Embedded Software Engineer (Principal/Sr. Principal) with an Active Secret clearance to lead the architecture and lifecycle management of embedded real‑time systems.

Location & Travel

Onsite in Redondo Beach, CA. Relocation assistance may be available. Travel: Yes, up to 10% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, document, integrate, test, and debug software solutions for end‑user customers and internal business applications.
• Lead the architecture, development, and lifecycle management of embedded and real‑time systems.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams—including Systems Engineering, Digital Engineering, Hardware, and Integration & Test—within an Agile development environment.
• Analyze system capabilities to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to program intent, output requirements, data acquisition, programming methods, and control strategies.

Basic Qualifications – Level 3

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 5+ years of software development experience; or Master’s degree with 3+ years; or Ph.D. with 1+ year.
• Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance required at the time of application.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming in an RTOS environment (VxWorks, FreeRTOS, RT‑Linux, GH Integrity).
• Proficiency in object‑oriented programming.
• Demonstrated expertise in all stages of the formal software lifecycle from requirements to testing.
• Prior work experience integrating low‑level firmware and software in complex real‑time multi‑threaded embedded applications.
• Prior work experience developing and debugging embedded real‑time systems.

Basic Qualifications – Level 4

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of software development experience; or Master’s degree with 6+ years; or Ph.D. with 4+ years.
• Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance required at the time of application.Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming in an RTOS environment (VxWorks, FreeRTOS, RT‑Linux, GH Integrity).
• Proficiency in object‑oriented programming.
• Demonstrated expertise in all stages of the formal software lifecycle from requirements to testing.
• Prior work experience integrating low‑level firmware and software in complex real‑time multi‑threaded embedded applications.
• Prior work experience developing and debugging embedded real‑time systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Software Defined Radios.
• Familiarity with Xilinx tools (Vitis, Vivado); recent experience with Xilinx platforms (Ultrascale+ MPSoC or VERSAL).
• Familiarity with Linux kernel driver development/modifications.
• Ability and willingness to obtain a Top Secret clearance and/or SCI Access.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401k.
• Educational assistance.
• Life insurance.
• Employee assistance programs & work/life solutions.
• Paid time off.
• Health & wellness resources.
• Employee discounts.
• Flexible schedules, e.g., 9/80 work schedule.

Salary Range

Primary Level: $114,000 – $171,000. Secondary Level: $142,200 – $213,400. These ranges are general guidelines; actual offers depend on scope of responsibilities and candidate qualifications.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or other protected class. U.S. citizenship is required for all positions that require a government clearance.