Chief Engineer – Mission Software

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START:
Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE:
Top Secret

TRAVEL:
Yes, 25% of the Time

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 Staff Chief Engineer – Mission Software Designs, develops, documents, tests and debugs applications software and systems that contain logical and mathematical solutions. Conducts multidisciplinary research and collaborates with equipment designers and/or hardware engineers in the planning, design, development, and utilization of electronic data processing systems for product and commercial software. Determines computer user needs; analyzes system capabilities to resolve problems on program intent, output requirements, input data acquisition, programming techniques and controls;

prepares operating instructions; designs and develops compilers and assemblers, utility programs, and operating systems. Ensures software standards are met.

The Staff Chief Engineer – Mission Software is the senior technical authority for a complex mission system segment, responsible for the overall design and technical baseline of common software supporting multiple sensors and mission applications.

This role leads the definition and evolution of the mission software architecture—including multi-sensor data ingestion and fusion, TCPED workflows, telemetry, and health and status services—and ensures delivered capabilities meet mission, performance, cyber, schedule, and cost objectives.

The Chief Engineer works closely with the Program Manager, Engineering Program Manager, SEIT Lead, product owners, and functional managers, and collaborates with operations, customer representatives, mission partners, and suppliers to drive the program through technical maturity and major milestones.

• Lead the mission software architecture, interfaces, and CONOPS for common capabilities.
• Own and maintain the technical baseline and roadmap, aligned to mission and program objectives.
• Lead development, allocation, and verification of system and segment‑level requirements; ensure traceability to customer needs and mission threads.
• Coordinate with program management, engineering program management, systems/software engineering, operations, and I&T to ensure the architecture and implementation meet requirements.
• Lead and participate in major technical reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, ORR, FRR), resolving technical issues, risks, and actions.
• Guide integration and test strategy, including use of simulation/emulation and automated testing to verify end‑to‑end mission threads.
• Identify and evaluate new technologies (e.g., cloud, microservices, data frameworks) to enhance mission capabilities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customer counterparts and internal stakeholders; communicate technical status and recommendations to leadership.
• Support capture and proposal efforts with solution architecture, BOEs, and technical content for new and follow‑on business.