Software Engineer - Level 3/4
Northrop Grumman · Manhattan Beach, CA
$108,800–$213,400from the description
Jul 13, 2026
Manhattan Beach, CA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A software engineering role on a Space Vehicle Management team, focused on designing, developing, testing, and debugging ground segment applications. The work involves writing and refactoring code in Java, C++, and Python within a cloud environment, following Agile practices, and supporting a space program through its development milestones. Suits experienced engineers comfortable working independently on complex, fast-moving programs requiring an active TS/SCI clearance.
Senior level · 5+ years · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
“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
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $164,459 (middle half $130,334–$195,752). 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 (9)
This requisition covers two levels: Level 3 (Software Engineer III, ~Senior) and Level 4 (Software Engineer IV, ~Staff). The posting states it 'may be filled at a higher grade,' so the role is primarily advertised at Level 3 (Senior). The salary range spans both levels ($108,800–$213,400); the Level 3 primary range is $108,800–$171,000 and the Level 4 secondary range is $135,800–$213,400.
The role is open across four locations: Manhattan Beach, CA; Fairfax, VA; Aurora, CO; and Morrisville, NC. The CBSA is reported as Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (Manhattan Beach) as the first-listed location; candidates and hiring managers should note the multi-site nature of this posting.
An active TS/SCI clearance is required at the time of application, with the additional requirement of passing a polygraph. An adjudicated CI or FS polygraph is listed as a preferred qualification.
The overall years minimum is set to 5 (the Level 3 Bachelor's-degree floor). The Level 4 floor is 8 years with a Bachelor's degree. In both cases, equivalent experience may substitute for a degree, so the degree requirement is set to None.
The Basic Qualifications list Java, C++, and Python together as a single requirement ('or similar scripting language'); Python is captured as the primary scripting-language skill with Perl and Rust (from Preferred) noted as alternatives. Java and C++ are separate hard gates.
Cloud environment experience is implied as a hard gate (listed alongside Java/C++/Python in Basic Qualifications) but names no specific cloud platform, so no separate cloud skill is emitted to avoid a vague entry; Docker/Kubernetes and CI/CD are captured from Preferred.
Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket) appear under Preferred; Jira is the primary name with Confluence and Bitbucket in alternatives since they are co-listed tools in the same suite.
Automated test tools (Cucumber, Behave, Eggplant, Selenium, Cypress) are listed under Preferred; Cucumber is the primary with the others as alternatives.
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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