Software Engineer - Level 2 or 3

CORP-Corporate Office

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US-Colorado-Aurora Until 9/19/2026 2+ years exp First posted July 21, 2026 Last posted July 21, 2026
Job description
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: SCI

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 is seeking a Software Engineer – Level 3 or 4 to join our team based in the Aurora, Colorado area at Buckley AFB.

What you'll get to do:

Designs, develops, documents, tests and debugs applications software and systems that contain logical and mathematical solutions. Conducts multidisciplinary research and collaborates with equipment designers and/or hardware engineers in the planning, design, development, and utilization of electronic data processing systems for product and commercial software. Determines computer user needs; analyzes system capabilities to resolve problems on program intent, output requirements, input data acquisition, programming techniques and controls; prepares operating instructions; designs and develops compilers and assemblers, utility programs, and operating systems. Ensures software standards are met.

This requisition may be filled at a higher job grade based on the qualifications listed below.

This requisition may be filled as either Principal or Sr. Principal Software Engineer.

Basic Qualifications for a Software Engineer Level 2:

  • Must have active Top Secret/SCI clearance at time of application
  • Bachelor’s degree with 2 years of relevant experience; 0 years of relevant experience with a Master's. An additional 4 years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
  • Experience with software architecture, design, and development.
  • Experience with Agile leadership (product owner and scrum master), planning, and scheduling.
  • Experience with Technical customer engagement and interaction.
  • Experience using Jira and Confluence.
  • Experience with Perl and Python desirable.

Basic Qualifications for a Software Engineer – Level 3:

  • Must have active Top Secret/SCI clearance at time of application
  • Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of relevant experience; 3 years of relevant experience with a Master's; 0 years of relevant experience with a PhD. An additional 4 years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
  • Experience with software architecture, design, and development.
  • Experience with Agile leadership (product owner and scrum master), planning, and scheduling.
  • Experience with Technical customer engagement and interaction.
  • Experience using Jira and Confluence.
  • Experience with Perl and Python desirable.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Adjudicated Counterintelligence Polygraph (CI-Poly)
  • Ability to juggle many activities simultaneously  

Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00

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.
About this role

Summary

Develop, test, and debug applications for electronic systems and software standards.

Job title

Software Engineer - Level 2 or 3

Experience level

2+ years or 5+ years

Minimum experience

2+ years exp

Industry

defense

Location requirements

Remote work not specified; requires Aurora, Colorado on-site

Salary

$92k–$171k

Management role

No

Skills & keywords

Required skills

Top Secret/SCI clearancebachelor's degreesoftware architecturedesigndevelopmentagileJiraConfluencePerlPython

Preferred skills

CI-Poly

Specializations

software architecturedesigndevelopmentagile planningcustomer engagement
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

Aurora, CO, USA

On-site City