Senior Defense Software Quality Assurance Manager

Northrop Grumman; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 146,600 - 219,800; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Defence Systems (DS) seeks a Software Quality Assurance Manager 2 to lead the planning, execution, and continual improvement of software quality activities for defense-grade systems in Northridge, CA. On-site role with no remote work; DoD Secret clearance required.

You will mentor a multidisciplinary SQA team, coordinate with engineers, testers, and program management, and interface with government auditors to ensure quality and security compliance throughout the lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field; 8+ years in defense software.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the SQA strategy aligned with DoD standards (e.g., MIL‑STD‑498, MIL‑STD‑2167A, DODAF, DI‑COT, DoD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification – CMMC).
• Develop and enforce a comprehensive Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) for each program, including verification & validation (V&V) schedules, metrics, and risk mitigation actions.
• Oversee implementation of software development processes (Agile, Scrum, or Waterfall) that satisfy EVM, CMMI Level 3, and SCM requirements.
• Conduct internal audits, prepare for external CDRL reviews, and ensure ISO9001, IEC61508, CMMI compliance.
• Direct functional, integration, system, and acceptance testing on simulators, HITL rigs, and field environments.
• Manage automated test frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and static/dynamic analysis tools (e.g., DO‑178C, MISRA‑C, Coverity, SonarQube).
• Establish defect tracking policies, prioritize root‑cause analysis, and coordinate corrective actions across development teams.
• Recruit, train, and mentor SQA engineers, test pilots, and subject‑matter experts.
• Interface with program managers, system engineers, customers, and government auditors; present quality status and risk mitigation.

Skills

Leadership

SQA Knowledge

Test Automation

CI/CD

Communication

Risk Management

People Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Master’s degree (optional) in related field

Tools

Jenkins

GitLab CI

Coverity

Polyspace

DOORS

Job description

Northrop Grumman Defence Systems (DS) seeks a Software Quality Assurance Manager 2 to lead the planning, execution, and continual improvement of software quality activities for defense-grade systems in Northridge, CA. On-site role with no remote work; DoD Secret clearance required.

You will mentor a multidisciplinary SQA team, coordinate with engineers, testers, and program management, and interface with government auditors to ensure quality and security compliance throughout the lifecycle.