Sr. Principal / Principal Software Engineer - Release Train Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 11, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 6, 2026. Northrop Grumman scores B on the Alion truth index.
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.Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.
Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems - Research & Advanced Design (R&AD) transforms breakthrough ideas into mission-ready capabilities through intelligent anticipation. We’re the front-end design engine, defining what comes next. From developing cutting-edge next-generation future aircraft to trailblazing collaborative autonomous platforms, we push the boundaries of technology and forge industry-leading partnerships that set new standards for what’s possible.
Our team owns the full lifecycle of advanced concept creation, from visionary early-stage designs and rapid prototyping to high-impact demonstrations and solving the toughest technical challenges in survivability, autonomy, and battle management. We seek curious, adaptable people who thrive on turning intuition into breakthrough solutions. If you’re driven to invent the future, build what’s next, and shape the landscape of national security, this is where you belong.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Principal or Sr. Principal Software Engineer - Release Train Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be located onsite in El Segundo, CA.
Accomplish
This position supports the Software Integrated Product Team (IPT). The Software Development & Release Manager / Release Train Engineer (RTE) will provide management and oversight of the agile software development lifecycle, including release management of software solutions and associated artifacts. The role includes planning and facilitating agile ceremonies, coordinating with the customer and subcontractors, and driving effective release train execution. This position is contingent upon contract award and funding.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage and facilitate agile ceremonies (e.g., sprint planning, reviews, retrospectives, PI planning) for internal teams and in collaboration with the government and subcontract software teams.
- Perform Release Train Engineer (RTE) functions, including optimization of development and delivery flow, managing risks and dependencies, and enabling cross-team/sub-team collaboration.
- Provide end-to-end software release management, including planning, coordination, and execution of software releases and associated artifacts.
- Collect, analyze, and report agile and release metrics (e.g., velocity, throughput, defect trends, release performance) to support program visibility and decision-making.
- Bridge communication across the project to ensure alignment between teams, stakeholders, and leadership.
Succeed
The individual we seek will be self-motivated, proactive, goal-oriented to help us grow our services, become even better at what we do and will possess the following qualifications.
**This role may be filled at either the Principal Software Engineer or a Sr. Principal Software Engineer level based on the qualifications below.**
Basic Qualifications:
- Principal Engineer: Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline with 5 years of engineering related experience or a Masters in STEM with 3 years of related engineering experience
- Sr. Principal Engineer: Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM discipline with 8 years of engineering related experience OR a Masters in STEM with 6 years of related engineering experience OR a PhD in STEM with 4 years of related engineering experience
- Experience working in an agile software development environment (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe).
- Proven experience managing or facilitating agile ceremonies and coordinating across multiple software teams.
- Experience with software release management or release/train coordination on complex programs.
- Experience collecting and reporting software development metrics.
- Strong organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with government customers, subcontractors, and cross-functional IPTs.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
Preferred Qualifications:
- SAFe RTE, SAFe Scrum Master, PMI-ACP, or similar agile certification.
- Experience serving as a Release Train Engineer (RTE) or Agile Release Manager on large or multi-team efforts.
- Experience on defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated/government programs.
- Familiarity with government/customer engagement in agile settings, including joint ceremonies and integrated planning events.
- Experience with common agile lifecycle and DevSecOps toolchains (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, GitLab, Jenkins, etc.).
- Demonstrated ability to identify, manage, and mitigate program risks and inter-team
Thrive with Us
At Northrop Grumman we are invested in the growth and well-being off all our employees. We offer flexible work arrangements, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment.
Our Total Rewards Program offers a comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00The 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.