Principal / Sr. Principal Software Engineer (C++ and TS Clearance)

Northrop Grumman offers a challenging, impact-driven software role in a secure, collaborative environment. This on-site opportunity in Los Angeles, CA focuses on C and C plus development with an active Top Secret clearance, delivering model-based engineering, DevSecOps, and scalable software architectures.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for junior software engineers
• Develop software in C and C++ to modernize and productionize a research codebase using modern C++ features
• Build software infrastructure to support CI/CD, software metrics collection, and MLOps
• Design and implement software systems, applications, and architectures that enhance modularity, scalability, and reliability while maintaining precision, accuracy, and speed to meet performance requirements
• Ensure industry software engineering best practices and standards are applied and maintained
• Collaborate closely with Software Leads and Architects to understand program intent, system capabilities, and output requirements

Basic qualifications for Principal Software Engineer

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 5+ years of relevant experience; or a Master's degree in a STEM discipline with 3+ years of relevant experience; PhD plus 1 year of relevant experience
• Active Top Secret security clearance and enrolled in Continuous Evaluation
• Ability to meet customer-specific security screening requirements within the timeframe set by management
• Willingness and ability to work onsite full-time
• Experience working in C/C++
• Familiarity with modern C++ standards and features (for example, C++17 onwards)
• Ability to analyze system requirements to derive software design and performance requirements
• Proven ability to design and code new software, as well as modify existing software to add new features
• Ability to debug existing software and correct defects
• Experience with open software or system architecture solutions
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills for collaboration with diverse stakeholders
• Experience developing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines
• Experience with Git-based or other software configuration management tools

Basic qualifications for Senior Principal Software Engineer

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience; or a Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience; PhD plus 4 years of relevant experience
• Active Top Secret security clearance and enrolled in Continuous Evaluation
• Ability to meet customer-specific security screening requirements within the timeframe set by management
• Willingness and ability to work onsite full-time
• Experience working in C/C++
• Familiarity with modern C++ standards and features (for example, C++17 onwards)
• Ability to analyze system requirements to derive software design and performance requirements
• Proven ability to design and code new software or modify existing software to add new features
• Ability to debug existing software and correct defects
• Experience with open software or system architecture solutions
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills for collaboration with diverse stakeholders
• Experience developing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines
• Experience with Git-based or other software configuration management tools

Preferred qualifications

• Experience leading tasks to meet schedule, cost, and requirements
• Experience with modern C++ standards and features, including C++20 onwards
• Experience with containers such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience with Linux operating systems
• Experience with CUDA and GPUs
• Experience with high performance numerical or scientific computing, parallel computing
• Experience developing for SWaP constrained environments
• Familiarity with signal-processing algorithms
• Familiarity with Agile lifecycle processes including Scrum and DevSecOps

Technologies

• C
• C++
• Git
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• CUDA
• Linux

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• Paid time off for vacation and/or personal business
• Discretionary bonus
• Long term incentives