Full-Stack Java Software Engineer Level 3 or 4

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Aurora
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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. About our local organization: You'll be joining our Aurora Software and Electronics/Payloads Department which has ~200 Software Engineers, DevOps Engineers, Systems Administrators, Database Administrators, Network Engineers, and Engineering Leaders from the entry-level to the most senior chief engineers and architects to Product Owners and Scrum Masters. This engineering organization supports numerous programs across Divisions and Business Units of the NG Space Sector business. We have opportunities for career advancement into higher level technical roles or leadership positions over one’s career with us. About the program : You’ll be joining an on-contract program that is supporting a critical national security mission that is both in development and operations. The program team is headquartered in Aurora, CO yet has some distributed team members located at several other Northrop Grumman sites across the US as well as at collaborating partner companies totaling roughly 35. Some of the program’s baseline and environments are unclassified allowing some software development outside of our secure facilities yet still on-site and in-person. The overall team is composed of software developers organized into agile scrum teams with Product Owners and Scrum Masters. Staff in Aurora primarily work in two large rooms with cubicle-like individual spaces (rather than in dedicated offices). The program’s culture is agile, fast-paced, high performing, proactive, collaborative, and welcoming of new ideas, technologies, and tools that could benefit the mission or help the team be more productive or produce a higher quality product for the mission. About the job : This requisition is sourcing a Full-Stack Software Engineer that has primarily developed in Java and considers themselves strong in this language. The program appreciates engineers that identify and propose improvement ideas in technology, process, architecture, or tooling and are fast-learners on existing code bases. Once you are fully program cleared (TS/SCI program special access), all developers must support integration, test, deployment, and O&M defect resolutions in our secure facility part time. This ensures all team members see and understand the full software lifecycle and full program mission. If you thrive in this kind of environment, then please apply so we can consider you. Basic Qualifications: Principal (level 3): Bachelor’s degree in Science with 5 years of software development experience; 3 years with a Master's; or 9 years of experience in lieu of a degree Sr. Principal (level 4): Bachelor’s degree in Science with 8 years of software development experience; 6 years with a Master's; or 12 years of experience in lieu of a degree Active DoD Top Secret clearance required at the time of application Ability to obtain SCI clearance (not required to start) Ability to pass a Counterintelligence Polygraph (CI-Poly) (not required to start) Primary experience developing applications in Java Experience developing applications in a containerized architecture using Docker and Kubernetes Experience developing applications on a Linux/Unix operating system Experience developing applications using Agile principles, processes, and tools Preferred Qualifications: Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or similar Active SCI clearance at the time of application Prior completed Counterintelligence Polygraph (CI-Poly) Principal: At least 3 years of experience developing object-oriented applications in Java Principal: At least 3 years of experience developing applications on Linux/Unix operating systems including proficiency with OS commands and shell scripting Sr Principal: At least 5 years of experience developing object-oriented applications in Java Sr. Principal: At least 5 years of experience developing applications on Linux/Unix operating systems including proficiency with OS commands and shell scripting At least 1 year of experience developing in environment using Docker and Kubernetes Prior experience with the Confluent Platform or other similar data streaming tools Prior experience with Apache Kafka Additional preferred attributes are: Prior development experience within the US Space Industry Ability to effectively communicate and present to program management and customers Ability to effectively write technical documentation Experience sharing knowledge, mentoring, and working in a collaborative environment Ability to debug, optimize code, and to automate routine tasks Active Security (or similar) certification Ability to travel (very limited, just once per quarter at most) Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00 Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00 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.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Commerce City , Full-Stack Java Software Engineer Level 3 or 4, IT / Software / Systems , Aurora, Colorado