Manager Software Engineering 2

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Dulles
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Top 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 Space Systems sector is looking for a Software Functional Manager with a strong background in Ground Software Development and Architecture . This role will support our Software and Controls Engineering Team located in Dulles, VA . This dual-hat role splits candidate’s time between functional management activities (15% to 20%) and direct funded activities in support of a Ground Software Program (the remaining 80% to 85%). The candidate should have a strong technical background in software development and embedded systems, including strong C/C++, software requirements, and software design experience. Software Development focus is for mission applications using software engineering best practices & standards and participate in the full life cycle of software development to include, unit testing and software integration testing, software requirements and design documentation and support for program reviews. Management duties will require tasking and coordination of approximately 15 to 20 engineers, and process and resource coordination with functional homeroom management. This candidate will participate in the full life cycle of software development, to include requirements development, modeling and design, application development, unit testing, integration, formal system testing, release, installation, and sustainment. The candidate will apply technical expertise in solving complex integrations problems. The candidate will interact with Program Management, external suppliers, and/or government customers. Therefore, excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills are required. The selected individual will play a critical role in the design, development, and delivery of the program’s deployment strategy and network architecture. This role is on-site, and does not offer a remote option responsibilities Containerization and securing of applications, Operating System hardening, and network security Deploying, automating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and improving the systems and software infrastructure for rapid deployment and maintainability of the infrastructure Hands-on technical experience with virtualization, environment automation and management, and continuous improvements Day-to-day communications, performance assessment and feedback, career counseling, professional development, employee rewards and recognition, and resolving personnel issues and managing staff Provide project staffing support with recruiting, interviews and hiring Recommending employees for raises and promotions Provide detailed employee performance feedback, periodic 1-on-1 meetings, annual mid-term, and end of year performance appraisals. Trains, coaches and mentors’ other engineers and support staff within the functional organization Responsible for evaluation of current project requirements and assures staff has adequate statement of work to optimize contract performance Work with program management and IPT leads in establishing personal, program and functional goals as well as performing performance evaluations and merit adjustments Acquire the necessary computers, equipment, and tools to enable their subordinates to perform their work Work closely with engineers and technicians and possibly within a lab environment Advise on integration of new emerging industry technologies to the program’s systems Implement engineering changes to the system as required Review, analyze, and incorporate technical requirements into end-to-end system architectures Responsible for implementing the network configurations as designed, and coordinating with peers, SMEs, and government engineers on hardening and securing of the system as a whole Willingness to work Temporary/short-term off-peak hours assignments for time constrained HW/SW integration efforts Full lifecycle design, implementation, and unit testing of software Work with various team members to integrate functionality with other software components Lead team and/or provide leadership to drive solutions of complex problems Support software working groups with the customer Develop software products from all phases of the software lifecycle Develop and share technical documentation and presentations New business acquisition, proposal, and special projects support Assist with staff workload forecast preparation· Identify and implement new or improved tools and processes to increase team efficiency Acquire the necessary computers, equipment, and tools to enable the team to accomplish their assigned job Perform technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analyses for total systems Ensure the logical and systematic conversion of customer or product requirements into total systems solutions that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints Lead Engineering teams with program execution Mentor Engineers on all phases of the Program Supports the software department, software center, and software sector in their day-to-day activities Manage a team of direct reports of between 15-20 engineers, supporting their needs, training, and career growth Basic Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree and 8 years of relevant software experience that includes a background in software development, or a Master’s degree with 6 years of related professional experience, OR a PhD in and 3 years of relevant software experience Must be familiar with all phases of the software development life cycle and Agile software development Prior lead or management experience in a team environment In-depth working knowledge and experience with C/C++, Java, or other OOP languages Expert knowledge and experience developing software Experience with configuration management using industry standard tools and processes Experience with containerization technology (e.g. Podman, Docker) Experience with authentication and data encryption methods, to include securing communications at either the datalink or network layer Active certification at DOD 8570 IAT Level II (Security) Must have an Active DoD Top Secret level clearance and the ability to obtain and maintain special program access to meet business needs Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 8 years of relevant software experience that includes a background in software development, or a Master’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline with 6 years of related professional experience, OR a PhD in in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 3 years of relevant software experience Familiarity with Rhapsody, Cameo, Eclipse, Atlassian Tools (Jira, Bitbucket, Confluence, Crucible, Bamboo) Experience with Agile methodologies Experience with container orchestration systems (e.g. Kubernetes) Experience with virtualization technology (e.g. VirtualBox, QEMU, KVM, vmWare) Experience with scripting (Bash, Python) Experience with network security (SELinux, CIPSO, SECMARK) Experience with multilevel security solutions Experience with Cisco, Palo Alto, or Juniper Experience with the NCDSMO cybersecurity standards Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and Atlassian tools Experience working in a DevOps culture with continuous integration / continuous deliveries “CI/CD” Preferred candidates will have demonstrated leadership of engineering personnel on a Northrop Grumman Corporation program to include software architecture oversight Hold an active Program Access clearance Experience with Firewall, VPN, switch, and router configuration Experience with configuration and management of Cisco, Palo Alto, or Juniper network appliances Experience with authentication and data encryption methods, to include securing communications at either the datalink or network layer Active certification at DOD 8570 IAT Level II (Security) Primary Level Salary Range: $161,100.00 - $241,700.00 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.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Harrisonburg , Manager Software Engineering 2, IT / Software / Systems , Dulles, Virginia