Northrop Grumman Australia · 3 weeks ago
Principal Engineer Embedded Software
United States-Arizona-Mesa
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$98K/yr - $148K/yr
5+ years expNorthrop Grumman is a leading defense technology company that offers revolutionary systems impacting lives globally. They are seeking a self-motivated Principal Software Engineer to join their medium-caliber Bushmaster gun controller product line, responsible for delivering high-quality software throughout the product lifecycle.
Defense & Space
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Design, develop, and implement software functionality – Create and deliver software that meets system and customer requirements while respecting industry best practices, cost targets, and technical constraints
Develop and integrate embedded SW for microcontroller‑based hardware – Apply solid software engineering skills to design, code, and test firmware while performing hands‑on hardware activities such as bench‑level debugging, hardware‑software integration, and peripheral configuration on microcontrollers and associated circuitry. This responsibility ensures that the candidate can bridge software development with real‑world hardware implementation to deliver reliable, high‑performance embedded solutions
Develop software requirements – Elicit, define, and document functional and non‑functional requirements; lead the creation and validation of requirement specifications and ensure clear traceability to system specifications, design artifacts, and test deliverables
Perform requirements decomposition, verification, validation, and troubleshooting – Break down high‑level requirements into implementable units, verify and validate each element throughout the development cycle, and resolve issues through systematic analysis
Implement software solutions – Write clean, maintainable, and testable code in C, C++, Java, LabVIEW, Python, or other required languages; integrate modules, adhere to coding standards and security best practices, and modify code as needed for functional testing
Plan and execute software testing – Update and calibrate test equipment and fixtures. Develop comprehensive test cases and automated test suites. Conduct functional, integration, regression, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing. Perform hands‑on debugging, root‑cause analysis, and corrective actions. Oversee contractor testing activities when applicable to ensure compliance with test plans and quality criteria
Verify and validate requirements – Execute systematic V&V activities, confirm that the implemented software satisfies all stipulated requirements, and produce traceability matrices, verification reports, and compliance documentation
Produce comprehensive documentation – Author design‑review packages (PDR/CDR), verification & validation (V&V) reports, interface control documents (ICDs), user manuals, and detailed test procedures that support the full product lifecycle
Develop and apply control algorithms – Design closed‑loop control solutions (e.g., PID), state‑machine patterns, and motor‑control techniques for safety‑critical embedded systems
Collaborate with cross‑functional teams – Work closely with product‑development teammates, mechanical and electrical engineers, and other specialists to ensure seamless integration across the hardware‑software development process
Maintain configuration management – Use Git (or equivalent) for source‑code control, manage software builds, and ensure version‑controlled artifacts are available to the team
Qualification
Required
Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering (or related field) plus 5 years of embedded software engineering experience; or a Master's degree plus 3 years of experience
Proven experience in embedded systems software development, integration, and testing
Ensure that teammates succeed in delivering what's most important for the team
Have a willingness to learn mindset from mentors, peers, and others
Strong technical problem solving, written, and verbal communication skills
Strong resolve to drive tasks to completion autonomously
Ability to travel is required
U.S. Citizenship and eligibility to obtain a DoD Secret Clearance if necessary
Ability to obtain clearance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives as an Employee Possessor
Preferred
Experience developing safety‑critical embedded software
Strong background in hardware integration and debugging, especially at the register level for microcontrollers
Real-time operating system (RTOS) experience
Bare metal programming experience
Timing, latency, throughput measurement and analysis
Proficiency in C / C++ and familiarity with Texas Instruments MSP430 / TMS320 families
Hands‑on experience with serial data buses (RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, UART, SPI, I²C, CAN)
Expertise in National Instruments LabVIEW / TestStand and electronics lab tools (DMMs, power supplies, oscilloscopes)
Knowledge of motor‑control systems and closed‑loop control algorithms (PID)
Ability to design state machines and produce thorough requirements, design, and test documentation
Familiarity with mechanical and electrical engineering processes within product development
Competence with Git or other configuration management tools
Excellent organizational, analytical, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated ability to thrive in a small‑team environment and adapt to varied roles as project needs evolve
Benefits
Health insurance coverage
Life and disability insurance
Savings plan
Company paid holidays
Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
Company
Northrop Grumman Australia
Northrop Grumman Australia is the Australia-based arm of Northrop Grumman Corporation and committed to generating long-term prosperity, investing in advanced Research & Development, sovereign and exportable Intellectual Property, high-quality jobs and long-term technology leadership across the Commonwealth.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageCompany data provided by crunchbase