Staff Engineer Software - Virtualization

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Melbourne
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes 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. The Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems (NGAS) Global Surveillance division is seeking a Staff Software Engineer ( Level 5) to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Test & Evaluation organization in Melbourne, FL . In this role, the engineer will be responsible for leading the design, development, deployment, and enhancement of advanced software solutions, specifically focused on laboratory test bench virtualization for flight control, communication, and mission system functionalities. The ideal candidate will have a robust technical background, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and a commitment to driving innovative improvements. As a key member of our agile development team, the Staff Software Engineer will oversee the end-to-end software lifecycle, including the development of application builds, releases, and configurations. This role requires engaging with internal stakeholders to gather and analyze requirements, prototype, and create sophisticated solutions that align with user needs. The engineer will also play a critical role in integrating and troubleshooting new software modifications, ensuring optimal operational performance. We offer flexible work arrangements, 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do. Key Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: Architect the virtual lab topology (compute, storage, networking) using industry standard hypervisors and container orchestration. Develop automation scripts (IaC) for provisioning, configuration, and lifecycle management of lab resources. Build or integrate device emulation layers that expose virtual instruments to end users via standard protocols. Implement audit logging to meet security and compliance requirements. Create CI/CD pipelines for continuous delivery of lab images, updates, and patches. Produce comprehensive documentation (design diagrams, SOPs, user guides) and train lab administrators. Work closely with domain experts to translate experimental procedures into reproducible virtual workflows. Basic Qualifications: Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) discipline and 12 years of related professional/military experience in a Software environment ; OR a Master’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) discipline and 10 years of related professional/military experience in a Software environment; OR a Ph.D. in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) discipline and 8 years of related professional/military experience in a Software environment. Must have an active DoD Secret or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation) and the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs. Willingness and ability to obtain a RedHat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification Experience using Git or similar version control systems Experience working across Windows and/or Linux environments (e.g., RHEL, Debian, Ubtuntu, or similar distributions) Experience with virtualization technologies (e.g. VMware ESXi, KVM, Hyper-V) and creating virtual machines. Preferred Qualifications: Ability to interface with network engineers, diagnose network problems, setup DNS records Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) (e.g., LynxOS, VxWorks) Experience with systemd, (e.g., use of systemctl, journalctl) Experience with hypervisors (e.g. VMWare ESXi, Xen, kvm, Hyper-V) A RedHat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing approaches. Understanding of certification processes for aviation software and hardware, such as the RTCA/DO-178 standard. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team and to communicate effectively with a range of technical and non-technical stakeholders. Experience with network-boot, automating operating system installs, etc. Experience with implementing and tailoring the implementation of DOD STIGs Familiarity with setting up and configuring a firewall and reverse proxy software PFSense or OPNSense and HAProxy or nginx Experience working with OS automation tools Familiarity with software development toolsuites such as GitLab or the Atlassian Suite An active DoD Top Secret level security clearance. Primary Level Salary Range: $152,900.00 - $229,300.00 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, Jupiter , Staff Engineer Software - Virtualization, IT / Software / Systems , Melbourne, Florida