Configurable On-Board Router (COR) Team - Software Engineer (AHT)

Northrop Grumman

Manhattan Beach, California, United StatesFull-time$76,200–$137,600Posted Nov 3, 2026

About the role

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 Software Engineer (Level 1 or 2) to join our team of highly qualified, diverse professionals within the Western Region Software Engineering Directorate. This position is located onsite in Manhattan Beach, CA, supporting the Configurable On-Board Router (COR) team for an operational Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) payload system.

The Western Region Software Engineering organization comprises over 800 skilled professionals—including Software Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Database Administrators, and Network Engineers—at every career stage, from early‑career engineers to senior chief engineers and architects. The organization supports numerous programs and offers ample opportunities for advancement into higher‑level technical roles or leadership positions. Our culture promotes cross‑program collaboration, continuous professional development, and a strong sense of community.

Job responsibilities of the Software Engineer (Level 1 or 2) include, but are not limited to, the following:

Developing software (payload flight software, test scripts, data analysis and processing tools).

Performing integration testing to investigate operational system anomalies, discover root cause, and determine anomaly resolution for software implementation and full cycle testing.

Troubleshooting software on multiple platforms (ARM, PowerPC, Windows, Solaris Unix/Red Hat Enterprise Linux OS, VxWorks).

Developing tests for software simulation and hardware test beds.

Working closely with software engineers, systems engineers, and customer site.

Collaborating effectively in a multi-disciplinary engineering team.

A successful candidate has a solid understanding of C/C++ and interpreted object-oriented languages (Python, Perl), applies strong analytical, problem-solving, critical thinking experiences to inspect large operational and system level data sets, and demonstrates prompt and thorough dissemination of information. The selected candidate must be able to work full-time onsite and provide on-call support for operational anomalies and investigations.

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

Basic Qualifications - Associate Software Engineer (Level 1):

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 0 years of experience

Proficiency in C++ and object-oriented programming principles, with hands-on experience working on production or large-scale laboratory codebases.

Experience developing software on Unix/Linux.

Experience with embedded software development and test.

Familiarity with software testing on a SW/HW environment.

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

Basic Qualifications - Software Engineer (Level 2):

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 2+ years of relevant software engineering experience or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 0 years of experience.

Proficiency in C++ and object-oriented programming principles, with hands-on experience working on production or large-scale laboratory codebases.

Experience developing software on Unix/Linux.

Experience with embedded software development and test.

Familiarity with software testing on a SW/HW environment.

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

Preferred Qualifications:

Knowledge of VBA, Unix shell scripts, or Python.

Familiar with Agile/Scrum processes.

Primary Level Salary Range: $76,200.00 - $114,400.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00

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.

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.

Responsibilities

  • Develop payload flight software, test scripts, and data analysis and processing tools.
  • Perform integration testing to investigate anomalies, identify root causes, and determine software resolutions.
  • Troubleshoot software across embedded, Unix/Linux, and other platforms.
  • Develop tests for software simulations and hardware test beds.
  • Collaborate with software engineers, systems engineers, and customer-site teams.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline; Level 1 requires 0 years of experience, while Level 2 requires 2+ years with a bachelor’s degree or 0 years with a master’s degree.
  • Proficiency in C++ and object-oriented programming, with experience on production or large-scale laboratory codebases.
  • Experience developing software on Unix/Linux and with embedded software development and testing.
  • Familiarity with software testing in software/hardware environments.
  • Active U.S. Government Secret clearance at the time of application.
  • Preferred: knowledge of VBA, Unix shell scripts, or Python, and familiarity with Agile/Scrum.

Benefits

  • Health insurance
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Savings plan
  • Company-paid holidays and paid time off
  • Potential overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus

Skills mentioned

C++CPythonLinuxEmbedded Software DevelopmentSoftware TestingIntegration TestingDebuggingVxWorksShell Scripting

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Inc. is a company based out of 12011 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston, Virginia, United States.

2-10 employeesReston, Virginia