Software Engineer Level 3 or 4
Northrop Grumman · Aurora, CO
$114,000–$213,400from the description
Jun 30, 2026
Aurora, CO
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This role involves developing, integrating, and sustaining satellite ground software across the full software development lifecycle — from requirements and design through testing, deployment, and maintenance. Work spans full-stack development using tools such as Python, Go, Kubernetes, Docker, and AWS, covering areas like command and control, mission planning, constraint checking, and multi-dimensional visualization. The position suits experienced software engineers with an active Top Secret/SCI clearance and a background in Agile development.
Senior level · 5+ years · Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
Advertised as Principal, but the requirements read as Senior.
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
Posted 3 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 $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 Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
This posting covers two levels simultaneously: Principal Software Engineer (Level 3, requiring 5 years with a Bachelor's) and Sr. Principal Software Engineer (Level 4, requiring 8 years with a Bachelor's). The salary ranges are also split: $114,000–$171,000 for Level 3 and $142,200–$213,400 for Level 4. Both ranges are reported in the comp fields; the overall years minimum reflects the lower (Level 3) gate.
The posting lists three possible onsite locations: Aurora, CO; Linthicum, MD; and Morrisville, NC. The CBSA is reported as Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO (the first-listed site); the other metros are Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (CBSA 12580) and Raleigh-Cary, NC (CBSA 39580).
A Bachelor's degree is listed as the baseline, but the JD explicitly accepts '4 additional years of experience in lieu of degree,' so the degree requirement is set to None.
An active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility is a hard gate at time of application — not merely the ability to obtain one.
Linux and Bash scripting are described as required in the narrative ('A solid experience in bash scripting, Python, or other OOP languages, in a Linux environment is required'), but Linux and Ansible also appear under Preferred Qualifications. Bash is listed as preferred given the 'or other OOP languages' substitution qualifier in the narrative; Linux is listed as preferred because it appears explicitly under the Preferred section.
Satellite ground software experience (Command and Control, Mission Planning, Visualization, Astrodynamics), planning/constraint-checking software, visualization tools, and an active CI polygraph are all listed under Preferred Qualifications.
The level advertised in the title reflects the highest title in the posting ('Sr. Principal Software Engineer'); the actual scope and minimum experience requirements (5 years at Level 3) are consistent with a Senior individual-contributor role.
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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