Satellite Ground Software Test Engineer — Top Secret

Northrop Grumman; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 92,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health insurance

Savings plan

Company paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Space Systems seeks a Software Test Engineer to verify and validate satellite ground software. You will develop and run manual and automated tests, working with Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mission Operations, and DevSecOps teams to ensure system functionality and reliability.

You’ll design test suites, support demonstrations, and collaborate across teams to mature testing capabilities while aligning with NAV/industry standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 2+ years of professional experience or Master’s degree.
• Active U.S. Government Top-Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope.
• Understanding software‑development, including C, Python, and Bash scripting.
• Experience designing or executing automated software tests (framework design, CI integration, regression suites).
• Basic understanding of Space operations.
• Experience translating complex requirements into executable test steps.

Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and maintain automated software tests for a mission‑critical satellite ground system.
• Verify software functionality against requirements using simulated mission environments.
• Design and implement automated test suites for features, capabilities, regressions, and end‑to‑end systems.
• Expand and modernize automated test frameworks to improve quality and CI/CT.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams throughout the software lifecycle.
• Support demonstrations and operational events with a verified, reliable ground system.
• Develop tools and scripts to streamline verification, automation, and test execution.
• Investigate and resolve defects identified during integration and verification.
• Participate in Agile sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.

Skills

C

Python

Bash scripting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree in STEM

Tools

Git

GitLab

Bitbucket

Jira

Confluence

Jenkins

PyTest

Robot Framework

Docker

Kubernetes

TestComplete

Job description

Northrop Grumman Space Systems seeks a Software Test Engineer to verify and validate satellite ground software. You will develop and run manual and automated tests, working with Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mission Operations, and DevSecOps teams to ensure system functionality and reliability.

You’ll design test suites, support demonstrations, and collaborate across teams to mature testing capabilities while aligning with NAV/industry standards.