Jobs / United States / Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
Staff Ground Software Architect – Space Ground Systems AHT
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation · 🇺🇸 United States-Virginia-McLean
Sponsorship verdict
Posting rules out sponsorship
The posting rules out sponsorship or requires citizenship/clearance.
- No government sponsor record hereThis employer posted directly and does not match a government sponsor register.
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- Security clearance mentionedFrom the posting’s own wording.
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
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Why not apply?
The posting mentions a security clearance — usually restricted to citizens of that country.
No register record and no sponsorship wording in the posting. Worth asking the employer before investing significant time.
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Sponsor Radar — Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
This employer posted directly and does not match a government sponsor register.
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About the role
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. Job Description Join Northrop Grumman on our mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and your ideas have real impact on missions that matter. As part of our Tactical Space organization, you will help design and deliver ground software solutions that enable critical space missions, from launch and early orbit through routine on‑orbit operations. We are seeking a Staff‑level Ground Software Architect (T5) to lead the design and implementation of next‑generation ground systems for space programs. This position is based in McLean, VA and requires onsite work in a secure environment. Job Responsibilities In this role, you will: • Serve as a technical leader and software architect for ground systems supporting space missions. • Define, document, and evolve end‑to‑end ground software architectures , including services, interfaces, data flows, and integration with space and mission operations segments. • Advise on the integration of new and emerging technologies (cloud, containerization, orchestration, automation, observability) into mission systems. • Lead full lifecycle software development , including: • Requirements analysis and decomposition • Architecture and design • Implementation and code reviews • Unit, integration, and system testing • Deployment and sustainment • Collaborate across multi‑disciplinary teams (systems engineering, ground operations, cybersecurity, hardware, and test) to integrate new capabilities into existing systems. • Implement engineering changes and system enhancements in response to evolving mission needs and customer requirements. • Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of software engineers, guiding them through design decisions, best practices, and career growth. • Develop and present technical documentation and briefings to internal leadership and customers. • Drive adoption of modern software practices , tools, and automation (CI/CD, containerization, infrastructure as code) to increase team efficiency and reliability. • Perform technical planning and trade studies , system integration, verification and validation, and analyses of performance, cost, risk, and supportability. • Ensure the logical and systematic conversion of customer or product requirements into total system solutions that balance technical, schedule, and cost constraints. Basic Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 12+ years of relevant software experience; OR Master’s degree in STEM and 10+ years of relevant software experience; OR PhD in STEM and 8+ years of relevant software experience. • Strong background in software development and software architecture for complex systems. • In‑depth wo