Principal Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Principal Engineer jobs in Virginia are in high demand, with active hiring concentrated in defense and national security contracting, cloud infrastructure, and systems engineering across a wide seniority range from senior staff to distinguished engineering levels. Northern Virginia, the Richmond metro, and Hampton Roads account for the largest share of openings, with established employers like Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Northrop Grumman among the most consistent hirers in the state. Software architecture, systems integration, and embedded systems are the specializations drawing the most sustained interest from Virginia employers. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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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.Join Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and start contributing to our team of passionate professionals providing real-life solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. We take pride in creating purposeful work and allowing our employees to grow and achieve their goals every day by Defining Possible. With our competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, we have the right opportunities to fit your life and launch your career today.
At the heart of Defining Possible is our commitment to missions. In rapidly changing global security environments, Northrop Grumman brings informed insights and software-secure technology to enable strategic planning. We’re looking for innovators who can help us keep building on our wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies that fuel those missions. By joining in our shared mission, we’ll support you with expanding your personal network and developing skills, whether you are new to the field, or an industry thought leader. At Northrop Grumman, you’ll have the resources, support, and team to do some of the best work of your career.
We are looking for you to join our team as a Staff Cyber Systems Engineer to join our cross functional Northern Virginia Engineering Discipline Team!
This position will be located at a Mission Systems Sector site in Northern Virginia.
Responsibilities:
- Development and integration of “Home-Grown” mission support AI solutions.
- Provide Engineering and Administrative support onsite for a team of developers and testers, often deviating from industry standard procedures to meet mission needs but maintaining system security standards.
- Working as part of a team to design, build and maintain AWS and hybrid-cloud systems
- Administering systems based on Linux and Windows operating systems
- Maintaining and troubleshooting IP networking systems for AWS and hybrid-cloud systems
- Automating system deployment, operation and maintenance using Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management tooling
Senior Principal AI Engineer Systems Basic Qualifications:
- Must be a US citizen with an active TS/SCI with Polygraph to be considered.
- 8 Years with Bachelor’s Degree; 6 Years with Masters; 4 Years with PhD; OR 12 years of experience in lieu of a degree.
- Experience with designing, deploying, and administering cloud-based solutions
- Experience of architecture, maintenance, and administration of Linux and Windows Operating Systems within large enterprise environments
- Experience with automating tasks (e.g.; Ansible, Bash, PowerShell, Puppet or Python)
- Proven experience working within IT Systems Design, Deployment and Administration
Preferred Qualifications:
- Cloud service certification (e.g.; AWS, Azure, Google, or similar)
- Experience developing, deploying, and working through accreditation approvals for AI systems in a mission environment.
- Experience with one or more programming languages
- Extensive experience of designing, deploying, and troubleshooting IPv4 Networking, including Subnetting, OSPF Routing, VLANs and VPNs;
- Recent roles in Technical or Team Leadership positions
- Knowledge of cloud database management (e.g.; MySQL RDS and PostgreSQL)
- Knowledge of cybersecurity in the context of the cloud
- Comfortable working in an Agile Development environment.
- Experience managing and manipulating containers (e.g.; PODMAN, DOCKER, KUBERNETES)
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment which encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Northrop Grumman benefits give you the flexibility and control to choose the benefits that make the most sense for you and your family. Your benefits will include the following: Health Plan, Savings Plan, Paid Time Off and Additional Benefits including Education Assistance, Training and Development, 9/80 Work Schedule (where available), and much more!
Northrop Grumman has approximately 90,000 employees in all 50 states and in more than 27 countries. We strive to attract and retain the best employees by providing an inclusive work environment wherein employees are receptive to diverse ideas, perspectives, and talents to help solve our toughest customer challenges: to develop and maintain some of the most technically sophisticated products, programs, and services in the world.
Our Values. The women and men of Northrop Grumman Corporation are guided by Our Values. They describe our company as we want it to be. We want our decisions and actions to demonstrate these Values. We believe that putting Our Values into practice creates long-term benefits for shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and the communities we serve.
Our Responsibility. At Northrop Grumman, we are committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards, embracing diversity and inclusion, protecting the environment, and striving to be an ideal corporate citizen in the community and in the world.
See All 162+ Principal Engineer Jobs in Virginia
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Find Principal Engineer JobsPrincipal Engineer Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Engineer Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman19

- SAIC14

- General Dynamics Information Technology11

- Trident Systems7
- MITRE6

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal engineer jobs across Virginia.
- Active Secret or Top Secret clearance required or eligibility to obtain one
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or related engineering discipline
- Ten or more years of progressive software or systems engineering experience
- Demonstrated experience leading technical design decisions across large cross-functional teams
- Deep expertise in cloud platforms, distributed systems, or embedded systems architecture
- Strong communication skills to present technical direction to senior leadership and stakeholders
Principal Engineer Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal engineer in Virginia?
Most principal engineer roles in Virginia are reached through cumulative technical experience rather than a state-issued license, though engineers working on public infrastructure or civil systems may pursue a Professional Engineer license through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Hiring managers in defense contracting and tech expect a bachelor's or master's in an engineering discipline, deep domain expertise, and a portfolio of architecture or system design decisions that demonstrate technical leadership at scale.
Which companies hire principal engineers in Virginia?
Employers hiring principal engineers in Virginia right now include Northrop Grumman, SAIC, and General Dynamics Information Technology, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Virginia's concentration of federal contractors and technology firms in the Northern Virginia corridor makes it one of the most active states for senior engineering talent.
Which Virginia cities have the most principal engineer jobs?
Chantilly, Arlington, and Reston have the most principal engineer openings in Virginia. Northern Virginia dominates because of its proximity to federal agencies and the dense cluster of defense and intelligence contractors headquartered there, while Richmond and Hampton Roads draw hiring from state government technology modernization projects and large naval and aerospace employers respectively.
Are there remote principal engineer jobs in Virginia?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 42% of principal engineer openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how much of the work involves architecture, code review, and system design that travels well. Roles tied to classified government programs or on-site infrastructure are the most likely to require in-person presence in Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads.
How can I get hired as a principal engineer in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a staff or senior engineer role at a large Virginia defense contractor or technology firm, where internal promotion tracks allow engineers to grow into principal-level scope over time. Employers like Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, and MITRE run new-graduate and rotational programs that place engineers on complex federal programs early. Building a portfolio of system design work, contributing to open-source architecture projects, or earning a cloud certification strengthens candidacy significantly in the Virginia market.
Where can I find and apply to principal engineer jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to principal engineer jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from Virginia employers. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listings.
See All 162+ Principal Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal Engineer Jobs