Staff Ground Software Development Lead

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.

Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Ground Software Development Lead – Level 5 to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within the Space Superiority Division. 

This hands‑on technical and leadership role is located in Dulles, VA. 

This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work. This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off. 

Position Description

The Ground Software Development Lead will be responsible for leading the end‑to‑end software development lifecycle for a high‑visibility ground software capability, following the Northrop Grumman SAFe Agile framework. In this role, you will lead a small, focused team of ~10–15 software developers to deliver frequent, high‑quality increments aligned to the program’s Product Roadmap. 

You will work in a fast‑paced environment with direct, routine interaction with the Chief Engineer, Program Manager, IPT leadership, and external customers, supporting major program milestone events and readiness reviews. To be successful, you should bring strong hands‑on technical skills in software development and ground segment experience for space systems, combined with excellent communication and leadership skills. 

Responsibilities

• Lead a small, high‑performing Agile ground software team (~10–15 engineers) to deliver incremental capabilities, interfaces, and defect fixes in alignment with the ground segment Product Roadmap, with an emphasis on schedule execution and quality. 

• Serve as the primary ground software technical lead, guiding architecture, design, implementation, and integration decisions; provide hands‑on technical direction and help resolve complex implementation trade‑offs. 

• Act as a key interface for ground software with: 

• Chief Engineer 

• Program Management

• IPT / sub‑IPT leads

• External customers, particularly in support of major milestone events (e.g., design reviews, readiness reviews, demos). 

• Coordinate and prepare technical content and briefings for recurring customer and internal reviews, including Integrated Design Reviews, PI Prioritization, Release Planning, Program Management Reviews, and key milestone events. 

• Maintain team performance (velocity and quality) by removing obstacles, coaching the team, and refining processes to increase efficiency and predictability. 

• Provide EVM‑aware leadership for the ground software scope: 

• Partner with CAMs/IPT leadership on staffing, schedule, and scope trades. 

• Monitor progress against cost and schedule baselines; contribute to variance analysis, forecasts, and corrective actions. 

• Chair or co‑lead recurring Agile ceremonies for the ground software team, including PI Planning, Sprint Planning, Sprint Reviews, and daily stand‑ups. 

• Collaborate closely with Systems Engineering, Cyber, DevOps, Training, and Integration & Test teams to ensure ground software capabilities integrate cleanly into the overall ground segment and mission concept of operations. 

• Communicate effectively and clearly present technical approaches, risks, and recommendations at technical and program boards. 

• Challenge the status quo and drive continuous improvement by streamlining non‑value‑added processes, improving workflows, and championing best practices across the ground software team. 

Basic Qualifications (Required)

• Active Top‑Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance at time of application (U.S. Citizenship required). 

• Level 5 (Staff):

• Bachelor’s degree with 12 years of software development experience; 
  – An additional 4 years of experience may be considered in lieu of a completed Bachelor’s degree. 

• OR Master’s degree with 10 years of software development experience. 

• OR PhD with 8 years of software development experience. 

• Strong, in‑depth technical background in software development, including design, implementation, integration, and troubleshooting. 

• Experience with ground segment or ground software for space systems (e.g., mission operations, command & telemetry, data processing, or ground infrastructure). 

• Experience leading software development teams (preferably small, focused teams in the range of 8–20 engineers) to deliver complex capabilities. 

• Experience working in an Agile development environment (SAFe or similar), including planning and executing sprints or PIs. 

• Experience leading requirements development, testing, and verification activities for software systems. 

• Demonstrated ability to write and present technical information to customers and executive/program management. 

• Experience with the Atlassian tool suite (e.g., Jira, Confluence) or similar Agile lifecycle management tools. 

• Awareness of Earned Value Management (EVM) practices, with experience supporting or partnering with CAMs on cost/schedule tracking, forecasts, and variance analysis. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics). 

• Hands‑on technical lead experience on ground software for space or similar complex, distributed systems. 

• Experience in one or more of the following areas (tailor these as needed): 

• Modern OO languages such as C++, Java, or C#. 

• Linux‑based development environments. 

• Cloud‑native architectures and containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes). 

• Telemetry/command, mission planning, or ground data processing systems. 

• Proven ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, high‑visibility environment, including direct customer interaction and support of major milestone events. 

• Strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills, including conflict resolution and negotiation with positive outcomes while maintaining strong customer and stakeholder relationships. 

• Demonstrated track record of driving team efficiency by streamlining processes, improving workflows, and introducing pragmatic best practices. 

• Experience mentoring and developing early‑career engineers. 

About Space Sector

Offering satellite, payload, directed energy, and electronics for security and civil markets, we’re built on innovative, cost‑effective aerospace and defense solutions that ensure mission success. Join our revolution, where the impossible becomes possible. 

Curious about all the exciting developments within the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Visit: 

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Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00 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 U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.