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Sr Principal Engineer Software

Northrop Grumman

El Segundo, CA · HybridJob$123–213K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$123–213K/yr
Location
El Segundo, CAHybrid
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Secret clearance

Job overview

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems seeks a Sr Principal Software Engineer for its R&AD Engineering team in a hybrid role. The engineer will translate MATLAB LiDAR algorithms into high-performance GPU implementations, develop software models and test datasets, and work with LiDAR hardware in a laboratory. The role requires a STEM degree and substantial related experience, with the experience threshold varying by degree level.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

C++ ProgrammingCore VMS or VxWorksCUDAOpenCLEthernet Hardware InterfacingLiDAR ProcessingPoint Cloud ProcessingCentroid EstimationPose EstimationSensor FusionObject Identification and TrackingLight Field CamerasStereoscopic Cameras

Qualifications

Bachelor's in STEM + 8 Years, Master's in STEM + 6 Years, or PhD in STEM + 4 YearsUS Government Clearance and SAP EligibilityMS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science

Benefits

401(k) Match
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Paid Time Off

Full job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

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 Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Sr Principal Software Engineer position to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals for a hybrid position in Melbourne, Florida, Rancho Bernardo, CA or El Segundo, CA. This position will be a key member of the R&AD Engineering team.

Accomplish

This individual will be responsible but not limited to:

  • Work with an algorithm architect to translate MATLAB LiDAR algorithms into high-performance GPU implementations using C++ and CUDA

  • Create LiDAR software model and test datasets for software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing

  • Create software documentation using UML

  • Work with LiDAR and related hardware in a laboratory environment

  • Communicate progress and results to a multidisciplinary team

Succeed

The individual we seek will be self-motivated, proactive, goal-oriented to help us grow our services, become even better at what we do and will possess the following qualifications.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) with 8 years of related experience; OR a Master’s degree in STEM with 6 years of related experience, or a PhD in STEM with 4 years of related experience

  • Strong programming skills in C++ Experience with Core VMS or VxWorks

  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

  • MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science

  • Experience with GPGPU frameworks like CUDA or OpenCL

  • Experience with Hardware Interfacing via Ethernet

  • Experience with LiDAR and point cloud data processing

  • Experience with centroid and pose estimation

  • Experience with sensor fusion for object identification and tracking

  • Experience with light field cameras

  • Experience with stereoscopic cameras

Thrive with Us

At Northrop Grumman we are invested in the growth and well-being off all our employees. We offer flexible work arrangements, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment.

Our Total Rewards Program offers a comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.

If you are ready to join us in defining possible, apply now.

Primary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $213,400.00

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.

Job Category: Engineering

How this job compares

Set against the 41,631 open Software Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$123–213K/yr
  • California median$165–246K/yr7,700 salary ranges
  • US median$135–217K/yr33,223 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $168K, is 18% below the California median midpoint ($205K) — in the lowest quarter of Software Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 9,578 open Software Engineer jobs in California and 41,631 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 4 years of experience; Software Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (33,828 postings).
Education
14,293 of the 41,631 open Software Engineer jobs (34%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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