Sr. Principal/ Principal Product Security Engineer

Northrop Grumman; Virginia; On-site; USD 125,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Product Security Engineer (TS/SCI) to join our team in Virginia. This on-site role focuses on securing spacecraft and flight software, leading threat modeling, secure design reviews, and risk management across the product lifecycle.

You will collaborate with software, systems, DevOps, and cybersecurity engineers to embed security, improve automation in GitLab CI/Jenkins, and drive RMF authorization efforts toward an ATO for platform IT systems.

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance at time of application.
• 4+ years with Bachelor's degree; 3+ years with Master's; 1 year with PhD.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with stakeholders to improve product-security processes across development, test, governance and authorization.
• Provide hands-on product security support to embedded software, DevOps and ground software teams.
• Advise on secure coding practices, secure architecture, and CI/CD pipeline security.
• Conduct security assessments of embedded and mission software including architecture reviews and vulnerability assessments.
• Develop threat models, data-flow diagrams, and risk assessments for embedded software and platforms.
• Triage and validate findings, prioritize remediation, and drive closure with engineering teams.
• Support RMF artifacts and authorization processes to achieve ATO for PIT systems.

Skills

C/C++

Embedded security

Python/Go automation

RTOS/Embedded Linux

Security testing

CI/CD tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related field

Tools

GitLab CI

Jenkins

SAST tools

SBOM tooling

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top 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.

Product Security Engineer (TS/SCI)

We are seeking a Product Security Engineer to join our Product Security Engineering team supporting the secure development and authorization of mission-critical spacecraft and flight software. In this role, you will help build and lead the product security of space vehicles (SVs), including their flight software; guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) software; simulation platforms; embedded systems; and the engineering platforms used to develop and deliver these products to the customer.

You will work closely with software, systems, DevOps, and cybersecurity engineers to embed security throughout the product lifecycle, from architecture and design through implementation, test, release, and onboarding to a ground system. You will lead hands‑on security engineering activities such as threat modeling, attack surface analysis, secure design and code reviews, vulnerability triage, and software supply‑chain risk management. You will also help integrate and improve automated security capabilities in GitLab CI, Jenkins, or similar build and delivery pipelines, including SAST, software composition analysis, SBOM generation, secrets scanning, and other security analyses.

This role is equally focused on building security into the engineering workflow and enabling the program's Risk Management Framework (RMF) authorization effort. You will develop and maintain key RMF artifacts, partner with technical teams to implement and document security controls and help drive the SV through obtaining an Authorization to Operate (ATO).

The ideal candidate is a software engineer at heart who has developed deep security expertise: someone comfortable reading and discussing C/C++ code; writing useful automations using Python, Go, or a similar language; working directly with software engineers to resolve real risks; and improving tooling and processes rather than relying solely on manual activities. You will be expected to bring sound engineering judgement, take ownership of complex security problems, and make security practical, scalable, and effective for engineering teams.

This position is 100% on‑site in Dulles, Virginia and requires an active TS/SCI security clearance.

Job Responsibilities

• Collaborate with engineering, program, systems, and cybersecurity stakeholders to review and improve product‑security processes across development, test, governance, and authorization activities.
• Serve as a hands‑on product security partner to embedded software, DevOps, and ground/supporting software teams throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Advise software development teams on secure coding practices, secure architecture, embedded system security design, software supply‑chain security, and CI/CD pipeline security.
• Conduct security assessments of embedded and mission software, including architecture reviews, code reviews, vulnerability assessments, attack surface analyses, and security testing.
• Develop and maintain software threat models, data‑flow diagrams, trust‑boundary analyses, misuse/abuse cases, and risk assessments for embedded software and supporting platforms.
• Integrate, operate, and improve security tooling within GitLab CI, Jenkins, or equivalent CI/CD platforms, including static application security testing (SAST), software composition analysis (SCA), secret scanning, SBOM generation, infrastructure/configuration scanning, and custom security checks.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of security tools, automations, and integrations in Python, Go, or similar languages to improve engineering velocity, security visibility, and assurance evidence collection.
• Triage and validate security findings; collaborate with engineering teams and technical leadership to assess risk, establish remediation priorities, and drive findings to closure.
• Support secure management of third‑party, open‑source, and internally developed software components, including dependency risk assessments, SBOM review, vulnerability management, and other supply‑chain security activities.
• Develop standard Risk Management Framework (RMF) artifacts, including System Security Plans (SSPs), Risk Assessment Reports (RARs), Security Controls Traceability Matrices (SCTMs), Plans of Action & Milestones (POA&Ms), control implementation narratives, and supporting security policies and procedures.
• Support the system authorization process for Platform IT (PIT) systems and work with system owners, ISSMs/ISSOs, and security control assessors to obtain an Authorization to Operate (ATO).
• Translate security risks and technical findings into clear, actionable guidance for engineers, program leadership, and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Mentor software and security engineers on secure development practices and help establish scalable product security standards across the organization.

Basic Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance at the time of application.
• lvl 3 - 5 years of experience with Bachelor's degree; 3 years with Master's degree; or 1 year with a PhD.
• lvl 4 - Minimum 8 years of experience with Bachelor's degree; 6 years with Master's degree; or 4 year with a PhD.
• Proficiency in C or C++ and experience reviewing, developing, or securing embedded software.
• Experience with Python, Go, or a similar language to develop automations, integrations, or custom tooling.
• Experience with real‑time operating systems (RTOS), embedded Linux, or comparable embedded system platforms.
• Experience developing or performing security testing for embedded systems and/or C/C++ applications.
• Knowledge of secure software development lifecycle practices, including requirements, architecture, implementation, test, release, and vulnerability management.
• Experience analyzing security vulnerabilities and working directly with software engineers to prioritize and remediate findings.
• Strong create problem-solving, troubleshooting, written communication, and technical collaboration skills.
• Familiarity with the system authorization process for achieving an ATO for PIT systems and experience conducting system security assessments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance with polygraph.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Physics, or similar technical field.
• Active CISSP, CISSP-ISSEP, CSSLP, Security+, or comparable security certification.
• Experience using Git and Subversion for version control.
• Experience using static code analysis/SAST tools, triaging findings, and coordinating remediation with software engineering teams.
• Experience using SCA tools to generate SBOMs and perform vulnerability scanning of software dependencies.
• Experience with GitLab CI, Jenkins, or a similar pipeline orchestration platform, including integrating security tooling into CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with threat modeling methodologies and producing architecture diagrams, data‑flow diagrams, attack surface analyses, and risk‑based security recommendations.
• Familiarity with CWE, CVE, CVSS, GHSA, CISA KEV, and other vulnerability management concepts.
• Familiarity with the NIST RMF, NIST SP 800‑53, NIST SP 800‑160, NIST SP 800‑218 or equivalent frameworks.
• Experience securing flight software, GNC software, spacecraft subsystems, aerospace systems, or other resource‑constrained embedded platforms.
• Experience with containerized development/build environments, artifact repositories, build system security and tool integration, code signing, provenance and attestations, or software supply‑chain security best practices.

Salary and Benefits

Primary Level Salary Range: $125,300.00 - $187,900.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $156,400.00 - $234,600.00

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. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.