Skip to main contentA logo with &quat;the muse&quat; in dark blue text.
Northrop Grumman

Principal Software Engineer/Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Rolling Meadows, IL

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.

Want more jobs like this?

Get Software Engineering jobs in Rolling Meadows, IL delivered to your inbox every week.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy.

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission!

As a Principal Software Engineer/Sr. Principal Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of Model-based Engineering, DevSecOps and Agile practices we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team-oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning, and a culture of automation.

Northrop Grumman is looking to add to our talented team of Embedded Software Engineers. Our engineers are self-starters who are part of a team of software professionals developing world-class software to meet our customer's high expectations. The Embedded Software Engineer designs, develops, operates, and maintains software and firmware components and computing systems software to be applied to and integrated with engineering, scientific and manufacturing requirements. The individual shall apply the appropriate standards, processes, procedures, and tools throughout the system development life cycle to support the generation of engineering applications and products within the Targeting Business Unit. This includes interfacing with customers, suppliers, application users and other technical and support personnel. The ideal individual will have experience including the full software development life cycle, which includes requirements, design, coding, testing, and integration.

This position can be filled at a Principal or Sr. Principal level:

Basic Qualifications for Principal Embedded Software Engineer:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or similar engineering discipline with a minimum of 5+ years of engineering experience, or 3+ years with Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or similar engineering discipline or in lieu of degree, an additional 4 years of experience is required.
  • Object Oriented Programming in C++
  • Familiarity with Software architecture (design patterns, objected oriented design)
  • Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, Bash, Batch, etc.)
  • Familiarity with operating system concepts for embedded systems
  • Familiarity with software development methodologies and frameworks such as Waterfall Methodology and/or Agile
  • Familiarity with various version control systems (Git, Gitlabs, Github, Bitbucket, ClearCase. etc) and Agile software planning tools (Rally, Jira, etc)
  • US Citizen and must have interim secret clearance prior to starting. Once started, must have the ability to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance.
Basic Qualifications for Sr. Principal Embedded Software Engineer:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or similar engineering discipline with a minimum of 9+ years of engineering experience, or 7+ years with a Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or similar engineering discipline or in lieu of degree, an additional 4 years of experience is required.
  • Object Oriented Programming in C++
  • Familiarity with Software architecture (design patterns, objected oriented design)
  • Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, Bash, Batch, etc)
  • Familiarity with operating system concepts for embedded systems
  • Familiarity with software development methodologies and frameworks such as Waterfall Methodology and/or Agile
  • Familiarity with various version control systems (Git, Gitlabs, Github, Bitbucket, ClearCase. etc) and Agile software planning tools (Rally, Jira, etc)
  • US Citizen and must have interim secret clearance prior to starting. Once started, must have the ability to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience with Object Oriented Programming in C++11
  • Knowledge in Software architecture (design patterns, objected oriented design)
  • Knowledge with scripting languages (Python, Bash, Batch, etc)
  • Experience with Software development methodologies and frameworks such as Waterfall Methodology and/or Agile
  • Experience Developing Embedded Software running Linux or VxWorks Operating Systems
  • Experience testing, debugging, and integrating Embedded Software on target hardware
  • Experience with complex systems of systems that utilize Parallel Processing, Multi-Threading, Distributed Processing, Multi-Core, System-on-Chip, and Secure Processing.
  • Active Secret Clearance
  • Differentiating characteristics include demonstrated leadership and teamwork capability, interpersonal communication skills and activities.
Salary Range: $102,400 - $153,600
Salary Range 2: $127,000 - $190,600

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.

Employees may be eligible for 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 committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA 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.

Client-provided location(s): Rolling Meadows, IL, USA
Job ID: NorthropGrumman-R10152274
Employment Type: Other

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • HSA
    • HSA With Employer Contribution
    • On-Site Gym
    • Pet Insurance
    • Mental Health Benefits
    • Virtual Fitness Classes
  • Parental Benefits

    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
    • Fertility Benefits
    • Adoption Assistance Program
    • Family Support Resources
    • Adoption Leave
  • Work Flexibility

    • Flexible Work Hours
    • Remote Work Opportunities
    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
    • Four-Day Work Week
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Commuter Benefits Program
    • Company Outings
    • On-Site Cafeteria
    • Holiday Events
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Paid Holidays
    • Sabbatical
    • Leave of Absence
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K)
    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Performance Bonus
    • Relocation Assistance
    • Financial Counseling
    • Profit Sharing
  • Professional Development

    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Promote From Within
    • Mentor Program
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Access to Online Courses
    • Lunch and Learns
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership Training Program
    • Associate or Rotational Training Program
  • Diversity and Inclusion

    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program
    • Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
    • Woman founded/led

Company Videos

Hear directly from employees about what it is like to work at Northrop Grumman.