Sr. Staff Software Engineer (Full Stack Software Discipline Lead)

Northrop Grumman is a global aerospace and defense technology company renowned for pioneering innovative systems that impact lives worldwide. With a rich history of technological advancements, from the first flight across the Atlantic to stealth bombers and lunar landings, Northrop Grumman continues to push the boundaries of what is possible. The company fosters a culture of intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity, and ethical integrity, encouraging employees to bring their whole selves to work and contribute to groundbreaking projects that shape the future. The Aeronautics Sector within Northrop Grumman specializes in advanced aeronautical systems and software engineering, focusing on delivering mission-critical capabilities that enhance national security and operational effectiveness.

The Full Stack Software Discipline Lead role is a senior leadership position within the Software Engineering Center of Technical Excellence (CoTE) of the Aeronautics Sector. Reporting to the Aeronautics Systems Software Systems Capabilities Director, this role leads the governance of tools, processes, training, and performance metrics essential for designing, developing, and sustaining a wide array of software technologies for subsystems such as ground-based mission planning, command-and-control systems, data dissemination, and training software. The position supports multiple locations, including Melbourne, FL; Palmdale, CA; San Diego, CA; South Bay, CA; and Oklahoma City, OK, providing geographic flexibility. The role is not involved in day-to-day coding or system integration but focuses on architecting, sustaining, and improving enabling environments that product teams use.

This position requires a solid technical foundation and leadership acumen to guide strategic vision within the software discipline, ensuring alignment with long-term sector strategies. The candidate will interface regularly with engineering disciplines to identify needs and close gaps in tools, processes, digital solutions, and training. The role involves leading the development and sustainment of sector-wide engineering tools and standardized processes while building and fostering a strong Software Community of Practice. Additionally, the lead will act as a trusted advisor to resolve technical performance shortfalls through root cause analysis and corrective action planning, sharing lessons learned to elevate technical performance across programs.

Core technical competencies include expertise in cloud and distributed computing platforms like AWS and Azure, containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes, geospatial engineering, human factors engineering, software construction with languages such as Java and React, interoperability standards, cybersecurity governance, open systems architectures, and cross-domain governance. The role aims to accelerate the delivery of full-stack software subsystems by over 15% through a unified, governed ecosystem and raise software engineering productivity and safety metrics measured by key performance indicators such as defect density and test coverage.

Northrop Grumman is committed to ethical standards, accountability, shared success, and pioneering innovations, fostering an environment that attracts and retains diverse talent. The role requires an active U.S. government Secret clearance and involves approximately 25% travel. Salary ranges vary by location, with the primary level salary ranging from $157,800 to $289,200. Benefits include health insurance, life and disability insurance, savings plans, paid holidays, and paid time off. The company is an equal opportunity employer and requires U.S. citizenship for all positions requiring government clearance.