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Principal/Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Active Secret)

Northrop Grumman
Be an Early ApplicantFull Timeprincipal
United States-California-Redondo BeachPosted Today

Role Overview

Northrop Grumman is hiring a Principal/Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Active Secret). This is a full-time role in United States-California-Redondo Beach. Part of Northrop Grumman's Embedded hiring, posted today. applications are still in the early window, before most candidates have applied. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.

Salary Context

Salary is not disclosed in this posting. Market median for Principal-level Embedded roles is $204k-$284k (based on 24 comparable listings). Many employers share specifics during the interview process or after an initial screen.

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LinuxAgileDevOpsORBenefitsRELOCATIONASSISTANCECLEARANCE

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be 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.

Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a Principal/Sr. Principal Embedded Software Engineer - Level 3 or 4 (Active Secret) to join our team of highly qualified, diverse professionals within the Western Region Software Engineering Directorate. This position is located onsite in Redondo Beach, CA.

The Western Region Software Engineering organization comprises over 800 highly skilled professionals, including Software Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Database Administrators, and Network Engineers, at all levels—ranging from early-career engineers to senior chief engineers and architects. This engineering organization supports numerous programs, and we have plenty of opportunities for career advancement into higher level technical roles or leadership positions. Our culture promotes cross-program collaboration, continuous professional development, and a strong sense of community.
 

The job responsibilities of the Embedded Software Engineer – Level 3 or 4 include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Design, develop, document, integrate, test, and debug software solutions for end‑user customers and internal business applications.

  • Lead the architecture, development, and lifecycle management of embedded and real‑time systems.

  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams—including Systems Engineering, Digital Engineering, Hardware, and Integration & Test—within an Agile development environment.

  • Analyze system capabilities to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to program intent, output requirements, data acquisition, programming methods, and control strategies.
     

This requisition may be filled at a higher grade based on the qualifications listed below.

Basic Qualifications – Embedded Software Engineer (Level 3):

  • Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 5+ years of software development experience; Master's degree in a STEM discipline with 3+ years of software development experience; Ph.D. in STEM discipline with 1+ year of software development experience

  • Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance required at the time of application

  • Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming, executing in an RTOS environment (i.e., VxWorks, FreeRTOS, RT-Linux, GH Integrity)

  • Proficiency in Object Oriented programming

  • Demonstrated expertise in all areas of the formal software lifecycle process from requirements to testing

  • Prior work experience integrating low-level firmware and software in complex real-time multi-threaded embedded applications

  • Prior work experience in developing and debugging embedded real-time systems

Basic Qualifications – Embedded Software Engineer (Level 4):

  • Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 8+ years of software development experience; Master's degree in a STEM discipline with 6+ years of software development experience; Ph.D. in STEM discipline with 4+ year of software development experience

  • Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance required at the time of application

  • Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming, executing in an RTOS environment (i.e., VxWorks, FreeRTOS, RT-Linux, GH Integrity)

  • Proficiency in Object Oriented programming

  • Demonstrated expertise in all areas of the formal software lifecycle process from requirements to testing

  • Prior work experience integrating low-level firmware and software in complex real-time multi-threaded embedded applications

  • Prior work experience in developing and debugging embedded real-time systems

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with Software Defined Radios

  • Familiarity with Xilinx tools (Vitis, Vivado)

  • Recent Experience with Xilinx platforms (Ultrascale+ MPSoC or VERSAL)Familiarity with Linux kernel driver development/modifications

  • Ability and willingness to obtain a Top Secret clearance and/or SCI Access

Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:

https://www.northropgrumman.com/space.

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site: Northrop Grumman Total Rewards.

As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman, you are eligible for:

-Medical, Dental & Vision coverage

-401k

-Educational Assistance

-Life Insurance

-Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions

-Paid Time Off

-Health & Wellness Resources

-Employee Discounts

-Flexible Schedules: for example, the ability to work a 9/80 work schedule, which allows an employee to work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday and take every other Friday off of work.

#LosAngelesSpace

#LI-DB1

Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00

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.

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.

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.

About Northrop Grumman

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Northrop Grumman

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for the Principal/Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Active Secret) position at Northrop Grumman?

Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to Northrop Grumman. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.

Where is the Principal/Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Active Secret) position at Northrop Grumman located?

This position is based in United States-California-Redondo Beach. Northrop Grumman has not indicated remote or hybrid options for this role, so candidates should plan for on-site work.

What does a Principal/Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Active Secret) at Northrop Grumman earn?

Northrop Grumman has not disclosed a salary range in this posting. Many employers share specifics later in the interview process; you can also ask during a recruiter screen if compensation transparency is important to you.

When was the Principal/Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Active Secret) role at Northrop Grumman posted?

This role was posted on July 22, 2026 (today). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.

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