Sr Principal Software Engineer - SW Product Owner (26-435)

About the role

• RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available
• CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
• CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret
• TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

About the role

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 Space Systems—Missile Defense Integration offers an excellent opportunity for an Internal Only: Sr Principal Software Engineer – SW Product Owner (26-435) to join our team of skilled and diverse professionals. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, this role is essential to supporting the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at the strategic, regional, and operational levels.

NOTE: This position is only available to current and active C2BMC personnel

This position does not provide relocation assistance and requires on-site work with no remote options.

Position Overview

The Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) program is a critical element of the Missile Defense System (MDS).

It provides an operational platform that enables the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and Combatant Commanders at strategic, regional, and tactical levels to plan missile defense operations, monitor battle progress, and actively control networked sensors and weapon systems to achieve global and regional mission objectives.

C2BMC supports layered missile defense capabilities by providing optimized responses to threats across all ranges and flight phases. It also acts as a force multiplier by connecting, integrating, and synchronizing autonomous systems and operations worldwide.

As the Global Battle Management Product Owner – Software Engineer, you will lead a high-performing software development team to design, implement, and test innovative solutions that support MDA projects and experiments. You will combine strong software engineering skills (with a focus on Java and Unix/Linux) with product ownership responsibilities, ensuring that stakeholder needs are translated into clear, actionable requirements and that delivered capabilities meet those needs.

Essential Functions

• Serve as the Product Owner and technical lead for the Global software development team, guiding the design, development, integration, and test of a large, distributed Java-based system
• Provide day-to-day leadership, direction, and mentorship to a cross-functional Agile software team, ensuring alignment to program priorities and mission needs
• Perform in-depth analysis and technical support of a large, distributed system written in Java, including complex problem resolution and performance optimization
• Provide technical consulting to the regional team and other stakeholders, helping to align Global and Regional capabilities and ensuring architectural and interface consistency
• Gather and refine requirements from stakeholders and other teams, ensuring timely and accurate deliveries that meet mission, operational, and test objectives
• Define and maintain acceptance criteria for team stories and product backlog items, ensuring the team has a clear understanding of what is required to complete work and demonstrate value
• Actively remove blockers at any level—technical, process, or coordination-related—to support team progress and maintain iteration and release commitments
• Assist the software team in design, implementation, testing, integration, and user support for a large and evolving code baseline
• Follow specifications and program priorities to develop, refine, and prioritize stories and tasks for the software team; maintain a well‑groomed and transparent product backlog
• Interface with other system support groups and software leadership to resolve problems, set standards, and improve the overall efficiency, performance, and maintainability of the system
• Support planning and execution of MDA projects and experiments, including non-standard work hours during event execution when required
• Collaborate closely with Government customers, subject matter experts, and system users to understand desired capabilities and communicate technical approaches, trade-offs, and results
• Adapt to rapidly changing requirements and design challenges, delivering high-quality solutions in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines

Basic Qualifications

Please list your current security clearance and IAT or relevant certifications on your resume, if applicable.

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 8 years of experience; or a Master’s degree in a related field with 6 years of relevant work experience; or 12 years of relevant work experience may be considered as an alternative to a degree
• Applicants must have a current, active in-scope Government-issued Top Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
• Experience working as a software leader on a team in a role such as Scrum Master, Product Owner, or similar technical leadership position
• Knowledge of Agile principles, roles, and practices, with demonstrated experience applying Agile methods to software development
• Proficiency in Java, including the ability to design, develop, and test Java applications in a large-scale, distributed environment
• Experience developing in a Unix/Linux environment
• Strong understanding of software development principles, including object-oriented programming (OOP), design patterns, and testing/debugging techniques
• Effective oral and written communication skills, with the ability to interact with developers, engineers, subject matter experts, and customers
• Ability to work effectively in a rapid-paced, team-oriented environment and within a structured development and configuration management framework
• Knowledge of software practices and coding standards, and the discipline to apply them consistently
• Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to review performance issues, identify root causes, recommend solutions, and drive implementation.

Preferred Qualifications

The following knowledge and skills are highly desired for the Software Engineer / Product Owner:

• Experience with test-driven development (TDD) and continuous integration practices
• Background in software architecture design for complex, distributed systems
• Familiarity with Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) development principles
• Ability to refactor code for reusability, readability, and maintainability in an object-oriented codebase
• Experience with application deployment, integration, and troubleshooting in operational or mission-critical environments
• Operating systems experience with both Windows and Unix/Linux platforms
• Experience with common development tools such as Eclipse IDE, Maven, and Git (or comparable tools)
• Experience conducting and participating in peer reviews for code, design, and documentation
• Ability to extract and analyze data to support system and performance analysis
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to clearly convey complex technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience implementing algorithms and developing messaging interface solutions in distributed systems
• Hands-on experience using Agile methodology for software development, including planning, backlog refinement, sprint execution, and retrospectives

Pay and benefits

Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive work environment that encourages your growth, benefiting both employees and the company. The benefits are flexible and customizable, enabling you to choose options that suit your individual and family needs. Your benefits will include the following:

• Health Plan
• Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Education Assistance
• Training and Development
• Flexible Work Arrangements
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Primary Level Salary Range

$129,300.00 - $193,900.00

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.