Staff Software Engineer - Thread Lead

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 144,900 - 265,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Paid holidays

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

Northrop Grumman seeks a Staff Software Engineer – Thread Lead to join Integrated Product Teams on site in various locations. This role involves leading data-centric projects to support mission-critical decision making with an emphasis on collaboration and technical leadership.

Candidates must have a degree in a STEM field and experience with data acquisition and analysis. The position offers a significant salary range and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of engineering experience with a Bachelor's in STEM or equivalent.
• Proven experience as a technical project lead.
• Active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance required.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and full lifecycle of data-centric initiatives.
• Collaborate with teams to develop data solutions.
• Advise on analytics value opportunities and roadmap alignment.

Skills

Data acquisition

Technical leadership

Data analysis

Cross-functional teamwork

Data visualization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline

Master’s degree in a STEM discipline

PhD in a STEM discipline

Job description

Overview

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Staff Software Engineer – Thread Lead to join cross‑functional Integrated Product Teams on site in San Diego, CA; El Segundo, CA; or Oklahoma City, OK. The role is focused on leading the full lifecycle of data‑centric initiatives encompassing data acquisition, harmonization, storage, analytics, and dissemination to support mission‑critical decision making.

Location & Travel

Full‑time on‑site positions only. Travel up to 25% of the time may be required.

Clearance

Top Secret clearance required at start. Candidates must already hold or be able to obtain an active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance and a Special Access Program (SAP) access via a Program Access Request. SAP/PAR must be upgraded while in role.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide collaborative technical leadership to mature and evolve data solutions across programs, contracts, and operating units, even when requirements conflict.
• Act as the subject‑matter expert for all aspects of data acquisition, harmonization, processing, storage, analysis, and dissemination across diverse formats, technologies, and distribution protocols.
• Translate raw sensor and telemetry feeds into actionable information that supports mission‑critical decision making.
• Lead architecture for all phases of the product lifecycle, focusing on off‑site storage and extensible data dissemination solutions.
• Define enterprise‑level strategy and support mission expansion, emphasizing conversion of raw data into actionable insight.
• Advise senior leadership on analytics value opportunities and roadmap alignment.
• Collaborate with end‑user and customer teams to ensure solutions meet real‑world needs and incorporate direct feedback.
• Own requirements, design, and serve as the primary point of contact for reach‑back support.
• Support risk mitigation and proactively generate enhancement opportunities.
• Decompose the solution backlog, prioritize epics and user stories, act as approval authority for feature completion, and define the Definition of Done.
• Facilitate knowledge share and management activities across data acquisition, analysis, and dissemination disciplines.
• Develop and govern data standards to ensure consistency, quality, and interoperability across programs.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and 12 years of related engineering experience, OR Master’s degree and 10 years, OR PhD and 8 years.
• Demonstrated experience as a technical project lead and Product Owner accountable for outcomes.
• Experience in communications technology, data acquisition, storage, processing, and analysis, including big data challenges and solutions.
• General understanding of network protocols and data dissemination strategies.
• Ability to stay abreast of developments at the intersection of data science and technology.
• Experience engaging cross‑functional teams to build a strong data infrastructure.
• Self‑directed leadership style.
• Active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance with recent background investigation.
• Ability to obtain and maintain initial SAP access prior to employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.
• Master’s degree in a STEM discipline.
• Proven ability to define, motivate, and drive change across multiple contracts or business areas with dual focus on end‑user mission and business value.
• Advanced technical knowledge of data science and data architecture.
• Proficiency in statistics, structured and unstructured data analysis, predictive modeling, and data visualization, with a good command of emerging methodologies such as artificial intelligence.
• Recognized experience as a thought leader and innovator in new tools, methodologies, and problem‑solving approaches.

Salary & Benefits

Salary range: $144,900 - $265,600 per year. Eligible for overtime, shift differential, discretionary bonuses, and long‑term incentives in management positions. Benefits include health insurance, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid holidays, and paid time off (PTO).

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance. For the complete EEO and pay transparency statement, visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO.