Python Software Engineer Level 3 or 4 (AHT) at Northrop Grumman
Aurora, CO
$114,000–$213,400from the description
Aug 13, 2026
Aurora, CO
Sep 25, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A backend-focused Software Engineer role at Northrop Grumman's Aurora, CO facility, building and maintaining Python-based services and Docker-driven deployment workflows for a defense-sector software department. The position spans two levels (L3/L4) and involves mentoring junior engineers, driving Agile ceremonies, and shaping engineering best practices. An active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility is required from day one.
Senior level · 5+ years · Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
Advertised as Mid, but the requirements read as Senior.
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $140,636 (middle half $126,359–$175,118). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Aug 18, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (7)
The posting covers two levels simultaneously: Level 3 (5+ years with a Bachelor's) and Level 4 (8+ years with a Bachelor's). The salary range spans both levels ($114,000–$171,000 for L3; $142,200–$213,400 for L4). The minimum experience gate of 5 years is used for the overall years minimum, reflecting the lower of the two levels.
The degree requirement accepts 4 additional years of experience in lieu of a degree at both levels, so no formal degree is treated as a hard gate.
Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility is explicitly required to be active at time of application — this is a hard gate, not merely preferred.
Relational database experience (schema design, SQL, indexing, performance tuning) and PostgreSQL are listed under Preferred Qualifications, as is Docker Swarm, Rust/C++, and Scrum Master experience.
Rust and C++ are listed together as interchangeable preferred options ('Rust and/or C++') for performance-critical components; C++ is captured as an alternative to Rust.
Docker Swarm appears in both the required responsibilities (as a deployment tool to guide) and the preferred qualifications (as a nice-to-have with 'or similar'). It is marked preferred because the Preferred section explicitly frames it as optional exposure; the responsibilities section describes it as a duty of the role rather than a candidate gate.
Requires a TS/SCI clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
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