Principal Engineer Software
US$114,000 – US$213,500 / yr base salary
Posted 12 Aug 2026
Advertised as “Principal / Sr Principal Engineer Software”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 5–8 yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$114,000 – US$213,500 / yr |
|---|
No unique specialisation
Field of studyEngineering, Technology, Science, Mathematics (or related)
Study levelBachelor's or higher
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Top 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 Aeronautics Systems Sector has an opening for a Principal/Sr Principal Engineer Software onsite in Rancho Bernardo or El Segundo, California
Accomplish
Join our Research and Advanced Design (R&AD) Division working on exciting new next generation technologies and their rapid deployment to end users.
Key Responsibilities.:
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Engineer enterprise solutions that align with best practices to support mission critical objectives.
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Work on 1-3 mid- to large-scale projects concurrently, assigned from program and internal leadership.
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Participate in regular project design and incremental status meetings.
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Collaborate with different teams across the program to discuss, analyze or resolve usability issues and work on projects.
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Provide effective communication across multi-functional teams, stakeholders and end-users.
Succeed
The individual we seek will be self-motivated, proactive, goal-oriented to help us grow our services, become even better at what we do and will possess the following qualifications.
**This role may be filled at either the Principal Software Engineer or a Sr. Principal Software Engineer level based on the qualifications below.**
Basic Qualifications:
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Principal Software Engineer: Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited university and 5 years of relevant engineering experience OR Master’s degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited university and 3 years of relevant engineering experience; or a PhD and 1 year of experience in a related field.