Sr. Staff Software Engineer (Full Stack Software Discipline Lead)
Ngc· Defense· Jun 10, 2026 · 5mo agoPosted 139 days ago
San Diego, CA
In office
Full-time
Lead
$193K–$289K
9+ years exp
Before you apply
Ghost Signal:
Open since June 10, 2026 — 139 days, and still accepting applications.
Job description
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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.
The Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Sector (NGAS) Software Engineering Center of Technical Excellence (CoTE) is creating an Everything‑as‑Code (XaC) ecosystem powered by an AI‑augmented workforce and a resilient software factory. Our mission is to deliver mission effects at the speed of relevance by continuously evolving the tools, processes, training, and metrics that make the software‑engineering ecosystem efficient, measurable, and future‑ready. As a leader in the CoTE team you will be at the heart of this transformation, driving relentless improvement and ensuring our software capabilities not only meet but anticipate emerging challenges - and turn them into strategic opportunities.
The Software Engineering CoTE organization is seeking a Sr. Staff Engineer Software to lead the Full Stack Software Discipline area. This key leadership role reports to the Aeronautics Systems (AS) Software Systems Capabilities Director in the Software Engineering CoTE organization.
The Full Stack Software Discipline Lead is the senior technical authority for the governance of the tools, processes, training, and performance‑metric ecosystem that enables NGAS teams to design, develop, and sustain a wide range of software technologies that are used in subsystems such as, but not limited to ground‑based mission‑planning, command‑and‑control, data‑dissemination, and training software.
This position supports all the Aeronautics Systems business divisions, at all of the Aeronautics Systems primary geographic sites including: Melbourne, FL; Palmdale, CA; San Diego, CA; and South Bay (El Segundo / Redondo Beach / Manhattan Beach), CA; Oklahoma City, OK. This position is geographically flexible and can be based out of any one of the 5 locations listed above.
The Lead does not own day‑to‑day coding or system integration; instead, the role architects, sustains, and continuously improves the tools, process, training, and metrics creating an enabling environment that product teams use.
Core Responsibilities include:
Provide leadership and define strategic vision for technical priorities within Software discipline, aligned to long-term sector strategy.
Regularly interface with EI&E discipline leads to identify program needs and close gaps in engineering tools, processes, digital solutions, and technical training.
Lead the development, deployment, and sustainment of sector-wide engineering tools, standardized processes, digital solutions, and technical training-- ensuring they are relevant, scalable, and interoperable across programs.
Build and sustain a strong Software Community of Practice (CoP), ensuring alignment of sub-CoPs, strategies, and priorities while fostering collaboration across programs and sub-disciplines.
Act as a trusted advisor to help resolve technical performance shortfalls through root cause analysis, corrective action planning, long-term verification of improvement.
Capture, share, and embed lessons learned and best practices across programs to continuously raise the bar for technical performance.
Core Technical Competencies:
Cloud & Distributed Computing : Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, OpenStack), containerization (Docker, OCI), Kubernetes, service‑mesh (Istio), CI/CD (Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps), IaC (Ansible).
Geospatial Engineering : GIS data formats (DTED, GeoTIFF, OGC standards), CesiumJS, Web‑GL, map‑tiling services, spatial‑database (PostGIS), coordinate‑system transformations, terrain‑rendering pipelines.
Engineering Foundations : Human-Machine interface, Human Factors Engineering, and CI-integrated security scanning.
Software Construction : Java, Web Frameworks, UI/UX Standards.
Human Factors Engineering (HFE) : MIL‑STD‑1472, task‑analysis methodologies, workload‑assessment tools, usability testing frameworks (Selenium, Cypress), cognitive‑load metrics, UI‑design systems, accessibility (WCAG).
Interoperability Standards : Universal Command Interface (UCI), STANAG 4586, NATO/DoD message protocols, API design, and data‑format standards.
Cross-Domain Governance : Ground systems often sit at the boundary between networks at different classification and compartment boundaries. This discipline lead drives the process for Cross-Domain Solutions (CDS), ensuring data flows securely between security enclaves without spillage.
Cybersecurity Governance : RMF/NIST 800-53: Common software and infrastructure reuse opportunities; automated security-control assessment tools; continuous monitoring pipelines.
Open Systems Architectures: Proficiency in OMS, Universal Command and Control Interface (UCI), and other GRA standards; ability to define and integrate interoperable service‑oriented components.
What You’ll Achieve:
Accelerate the process of delivering Full Stack software based subsystems, such as Ground Systems & C2 Software, Training Systems, Mission Planning, etc. by > 15% through a unified, governed tool‑process‑training ecosystem that enables early validation on high‑fidelity digital twins.
Raise software‑engineering productivity and safety metrics across NGAS programs – by measurable via KPIs such as defect density, test‑coverage %, mean‑time‑to‑detect, and tool‑uptime.
Create a vibrant, cross‑program Community of Practice for your discipline area that spreads best practices and lessons learned across programs, fosters increased software reuse, and improves the disciplines overall capabilities.
Champion the tools, processes, training, and metrics for all subsystems that are primarily using full stack software technologies, , ensuring they remain state‑of‑the‑art, secure, and fully aligned with DoD strategic objectives (JADC2, Anywhere C2, multi‑vehicle swarm).
Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding yourself and others accountable to meet predictable and balanced results. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, We pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others.
Basic Qualifications:
Must have a Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 14 or more years of experience in software engineering OR a Master’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 12 or more years of experience in software engineering OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 9 years of software engineering experience
Subject Matter Expert in one or more technology areas:
Front end client-side languages/frameworks such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React or TypeScript
Back-end server-side programing languages such as Python, Java, Node.js
API design experience such as REST, GraphQL or gRPC
Database knowledge in either SQL, NoSQL or MongoDB
Networking basics, such as HTTP or websockets
Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure and containerization
Subject Matter Expert in one or more Core Technical Competency areas:
Geospatial Engineering
Human Factors Engineering (HFE)
Interoperability Standards
Cross-Domain Governance
Cybersecurity Governance
Open Systems Architectures
Must have an active U.S. government Secret clearance that is in-scope (granted or renewed in the last 6 years) and eligibility for TS/SCI
Must be able to attain and maintain Special Program Access (PAR)
Ability to travel as needed (approx. 25%)
Preferred Qualifications:
Subject Matter Expert in many of the follow technology areas:
Front end client-side languages/frameworks such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React or TypeScript
Back-end server-side programing languages such as Python, Java, Node.js
API design experience such as REST, GraphQL or gRPC
Database knowledge in either SQL, NoSQL or MongoDB
Networking basics, such as HTTP or websockets
Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure and containerization
Subject Matter Expert in most of the Core Technical Competency areas:
Geospatial Engineering
Human Factors Engineering (HFE)
Interoperability Standards
Cross-Domain Governance
Cybersecurity Governance
Open Systems Architectures
Demonstrated experience leading engineering tools, process, training, and/or metrics optimization using a continuous improvement mindset
Demonstrated Strategic, systems-level thinker who can build alignment across functional and program boundaries
Active TS/SCI
Current Special Program Access (PAR)
Advanced degree in a relevant field (MS/PhD)
Pay Ranges by Location:
Oklahoma: $157,800 - $236,600
Florida: $166,500 - $249,700
California: $192,800 - $289,200
Primary Level Salary Range: $157,800.00 - $289,200.00
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 northropgrumman.com. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
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