Staff Engineer Software - Thread Lead (San Diego CA)

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: San Diego
Posted on: April 3, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time Description 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. Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add a Staff Engineer Software - Thread Lead to join our team in San Diego, CA. This role requires a self-motivated professional with proven experience collaborating in cross functional Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). The ideal candidate will be a technology visionary and strategist who can lead the end to end lifecycle of data centric initiatives spanning data science, architecture, storage, analytics, and dissemination. This position demands strong interpersonal skills, the ability to influence stakeholders, and a proven track record of delivering results in highly regulated, high clearance environments. Roles and Responsibilities will include: Provide collaborative technical leadership that drives the maturation and evolution of data solutions across a portfolio of programs, contracts, and operating units, even when requirements conflict. Act as the Subject Matter Expert for all aspects of data acquisition, harmonization, processing, storage, analysis, and dissemination across diverse data formats, technologies, and network/distribution protocols. Translate raw sensor and telemetry feeds into actionable information that supports mission critical decision making. Provide technical leadership and serve as the lead architect for all phases of the product lifecycle, with immediate focus on developing off site storage and extensible data dissemination solutions. Define enterprise level strategy and support expansion of the mission set, emphasizing the conversion of raw data into actionable information. Advise senior leadership on analytics value opportunities and roadmap alignment. Collaborate with end user and customer teams to ensure solutions meet real world needs and incorporate direct feedback. Lead technical execution of capabilities and products, owning requirements, design, and serving as the primary point of contact for reach back support. Support risk mitigation and proactively generate opportunity driven enhancements. Decompose the solution backlog, prioritize epics and user stories, act as the approval authority for feature completion, and define the Definition of Done. Facilitate knowledge share and management activities across data acquisition, analysis, and dissemination disciplines. Develop and govern data standards to ensure consistency, quality, and interoperability across programs. The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required. Basic Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 12 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 10 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 8 years of related engineering experience. Demonstrated experience being a technical project lead and Product Owner accountable to the outcome of the solutions developed Demonstrated understanding of communications technology, data acquisition, storage, processing and analysis technologies, including big data challenges and solutions General understanding of network protocols and data dissemination strategies Demonstrated ability to stay abreast of developments at the intersection of data science and technology Experience engaging cross-functional teams to build a strong data infrastructure Active DoD Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation). Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Access Program (SAP) access via a Program Access Request (PAR). This SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs. Note: SAP/PAR will be upgraded once selected candidate is in role. Therefore, candidate must also be able to obtain and maintain upgraded SAP/PAR.) Preferred Qualifications: Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance. Master’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) Skilled at defining, motivating and driving change across multiple contracts/business areas with a dual focus on supporting the end-user mission and ensuring business value Advanced technical knowledge of data science and data architecture Proven understanding of statistics, structured and unstructured data analysis, predictive modeling techniques and data visualization as well as a good command of emerging methodologies like Artificial Intelligence Recognized experience as a thought leader and innovator in the development of new tools, methodologies and problem-solving approaches Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,600.00 The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business. The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

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