Sr. Principal Software Development Analyst - Quality Engineering & Business Process Integration

Northrop Grumman; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Sr Staff Software Development Analyst to support PLM Architect Solutions. The role combines software testing leadership with quality governance, defining enterprise standards, metrics, and test strategy across diverse applications and platforms.

Working across product, development, operations, and business teams, you will drive test automation, CI/CD quality gates, and risk management to ensure reliable, secure, and high‑performing solutions.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in software testing and quality engineering with broad cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to lead enterprise-wide testing standards and governance across multiple programs.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive enterprise-wide software testing and quality engineering standards, aligned with NG engineering and delivery frameworks.
• Establish and maintain quality metrics, KPIs, and reporting to measure reliability, release confidence, and delivery effectiveness.
• Lead design and continuous improvement of testing frameworks, methodologies, and best practices across applications and platforms.
• Champion shift-left testing and quality-by-design throughout the SDLC.
• Provide technical leadership for various testing initiatives including strategy, planning and execution oversight.
• Serve as a senior adviser on quality topics to product teams and engineering leadership.

Skills

Quality engineering

Test automation

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

UI automation

API testing

Performance testing

Test data management

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance 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.

At the heart of Defining Possible is our commitment to missions. In rapidly changing global security environments, Northrop Grumman brings informed insights and secure technological solutions to enable strategic objectives. We're looking for innovators who can help us keep building on our wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies that fuel those missions. By joining in our shared mission, we will support yours by expanding your personal network and developing skills, whether you are new to the field or an industry thought leader. At Northrop Grumman, you will have the resources, support, and team to do some of the best work of your career.

The Northrop Grumman CIDO team is seeking a Sr Staff Software Development Analyst to support PLM Architect Solutions. The selected candidate will be required to work on-site, full-time either our Roy, UT, Melbourne, FL, San Diego, CA, or Palmdale, CA locations.

The Sr. Principal Software Development Analyst - Quality Engineering & Business Process Integration operates as a senior individual contributor at a senior principal level, providing enterprise-wide leadership in software testing, quality engineering, and quality governance. This role is responsible for defining and driving testing standards, enhancing software quality practices, advancing test automation capabilities, and ensuring technology solutions integrate effectively with critical business processes.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in software testing and quality engineering with strong business process understanding and cross-functional collaboration skills. Working across product, development, operations, and business teams, this individual will influence engineering excellence at scale and ensure business requirements are translated into reliable, secure, and high-performing solutions.

Note: Due to the classified nature of the work being performed, this position does not offer any virtual or telecommute working options.

The responsibilities of this role include, but are not limited to, the following:

Quality Engineering Leadership

• Define and drive enterprise-wide software testing and quality engineering standards, aligned with NG engineering and delivery frameworks.
• Establish and maintain quality metrics, KPIs, and reporting mechanisms to measure software reliability, release confidence, and delivery effectiveness.
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of testing frameworks, methodologies, and best practices across diverse applications and platforms.
• Champion shift-left testing strategies and quality-by-design principles throughout the SDLC, influencing teams to embed quality early and consistently.
• Provide technical leadership for functional, integration, regression, performance, and user acceptance testing initiatives, including test strategy, planning, and execution oversight.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor on quality topics to product teams, engineering leadership, and operations stakeholders.

Test Automation & Tooling

• Lead the design, expansion, and governance of automated testing capabilities across enterprise applications, APIs, and integrations.
• Evaluate, recommend, and help implement modern testing tools and frameworks (e.g., UI automation, API testing, performance testing, and test data management solutions).
• Define and enforce CI/CD quality gates and automated validation processes; ensure automated tests are integrated into build and deployment pipelines.
• Ensure automated test coverage supports release readiness, operational stability, and rapid yet safe deployment practices.
• Partner closely with DevOps and engineering teams to integrate testing activities into continuous integration and continuous delivery workflows.

Quality Governance & Risk Management

• Develop and maintain software quality assurance controls, standards, and governance frameworks that are consistent across programs and p