Software Engineer - Level 2 or 3
Northrop Grumman · Huntsville, AL
$87,600–$163,200from the description
Jun 30, 2026
Huntsville, AL
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This role involves writing and testing software for a missile defense fire control system, working within a large existing codebase. Day-to-day work covers implementing new capabilities, reviewing requirements, and supporting test cases in a collaborative, on-site environment. The position suits engineers with C++, Java, or Ada experience who hold an active DoD Secret clearance and are comfortable working in a closed-area facility.
Mid level · 2+ years · Huntsville, AL · Bachelor's required · Secret clearance · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
Posted 2 times — it's one opening, so apply once.
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
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $130,897 (middle half $102,526–$165,828). 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 Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (7)
This requisition covers two levels simultaneously: Software Engineer Level 2 (Mid, 2+ years, $87,600–$131,400/yr) and Principal Software Engineer Level 3 (Senior, 5+ years, $108,800–$163,200/yr). The seniority and salary range here reflect the lower (Level 2) gate as the minimum entry point; the upper salary bound reflects the Level 3 ceiling.
The C++/Java/Ada requirement is stated as 'C++ or Java or Ada' — recent experience in any one of these satisfies the gate; alternatives are captured accordingly.
Ada proficiency is listed as a separate willingness/learning requirement ('Willingness to become proficient with Ada') rather than a current hard skill, but given the role's primary codebase is Ada, it is treated as a hard gate on the capability.
An active, in-scope DoD Secret clearance is explicitly required at time of application — this is a hard gate, not merely a condition to obtain one.
The role requires an in-person/closed-area work environment in Huntsville, AL; fully remote work is not available.
MDA GMD program experience appears under Preferred Qualifications and is listed as a nice-to-have domain familiarity, not a hard gate.
Requires a Secret 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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