Principal Engineer Software/Sr Principal Engineer Software

Northrop Grumman

Last Updated: 2/1/2026 10:08:20 AM

Position Closed

Live Market Data for this Exact Role

These metrics reveal the true, unfiltered history of this specific position. We track the exact number of days the requisition has been active and monitor real salary range fluctuations over time, helping you verify compensation trends before applying.

Current Days Open
125
Reqs Seen
2
Current Min Salary
$95,300.00 (Yearly)
Current Max Salary
$142,900.00 (Yearly)
Historical Time to Fill
154.5
First Seen
9/30/2025
Lowest Min Salary Seen
$95,300.00 (Yearly)
4/22/2026
Highest Max Salary Seen
$142,900.00 (Yearly)
4/22/2026

Full Job Description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available 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 Systems Corporation is seeking a Principal or Senior Principal Software Engineer to support a research area associated with our key lab environment within the Research & Advanced Design/Battlespace Architecture Systems and Technology RAD/BAST organization. The program technologies include 5G/NextG communications, machine learning, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and future wireless technologies in support of tactical applications for the warfighter. The position is in Melbourne, FL. Responsibilities will include integrating, deploying, maintaining, troubleshooting, and enhancing 5G systems, Azure and AWS cloud architectures, and the associated infrastructure for advanced research and design. The role requires hands on technical experience and a can-do attitude towards environment automation, management, and continuous improvements. You will be expected to take ownership of hard problems and drive toward to a solution, while working in a multi-discipline team environment. You will develop, modify, and maintain customized or standardized applications using software engineering best practices and standards, and participate in the full life cycle of software development, to include requirements development, modeling and design, application development, unit to CSCI testing, integration, formal system testing, release, installation, and maintenance. A solid experience in scripting (bash, PowerShell or python); C/C++, Java, or other OOP languages, in a Linux environment is required. Key roles and responsibilities: Integrating, deploying, and enhancing 5G systems based on the O-RAN standard. Designing and deploying microservices architectures on Azure, AWS, and hybrid environments. Full lifecycle design, implementation, and unit testing of software Working with various team members to integrate functionality with other software components. Providing technical solutions to a wide range of complex difficult problems that are imaginative, thorough, practicable, and consistent with programs objectives. Following software best practices. Developing software products from all phases of the software lifecycle. Contributing to the full life cycle of system development in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. This includes requirements development, modeling and design, application development, integration, formal system testing, release, installation, and maintenance. Meeting milestones and deadlines by providing best in class solutions. Adhering to and following roadmaps, plans, and schedules. Working closely with the software lead and following their guidance. Ability to work independently and identify solutions to complex problems. Basic Qualifications: Principal Software Engineer: Bachelors degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited university with 5 or more years software development experience, or Masters degree and 3 or more years experience developing software or a PhD with 0 or more years software development experience. Senior Principal Software Engineer: Bachelors degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited university with 9 or more years software development experience, or Masters degree and 7 or more years experience developing software or a PhD with 4 or more years software development experience. 5 or more years of experience with working knowledge of the full software development life cycle. 5 or more years of experience with working knowledge with the Agile software development process. 5 or more years of experience with working knowledge and experience with C/C++, Java, or other OOP languages. 5 or more years of experience with working knowledge implementing software within microservices architectures. Expert knowledge and experience developing software in a Linux and Windows environment. Experience with configuration management using industry standard tools and processes. Ability to work wellacross multiple engineering disciplines. Excellent oral and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills. Must have an active in scope DoD Secret security clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years). Preferred Qualifications: Experience with 5G communications protocols and equipment. Experience building, deploying, and maintaining microservices architectures in Azure, AWS, or hybrid environments. Experience with Kubernetes. Experience integrating AI/ML models into microservices architectures. Experience applying commercial products to military applications. Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) techniques and tools. Primary Level Salary Range: $95,300.00 - $142,900.00 Secondary Level Salary Range: $118,600.00 - $178,000.00 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. Existing Applicants: Need to update your contact information or email address? Once logged in, click on Candidate Home in the upper right corner and scroll to the bottom of that screen to see buttons for: Update Contact information to update your legal name, address, and phone number Edit Account Settings to edit your email address We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.

Similarity vs. Compensation Matrix

How to read this chart:

This interactive scatter plot benchmarks the compensation for this position against the broader market. The vertical Golden Line represents the midpoint salary for the current requisition, while the Blue Dots map competing open roles based on their semantic match and pay scale.

Click any dot to investigate a competitor. For the best leverage, target roles in the top-right quadrant—these are highly relevant positions offering above-average compensation.

Lower Match, Higher Pay Higher Match, Higher Pay
Lower Match, Lower Pay Higher Match, Lower Pay

Similar Open Roles & Salary Benchmarks

Don't limit your search to a single application. Below is a curated list of active openings across the market. To ensure high-quality leads, we enforce a strict 70% similarity threshold—meaning these aren't just superficial keyword matches, but genuinely viable career alternatives. Use these competing benchmarks to confidently negotiate your salary expectations or apply directly to higher-paying offers.