Great big company - Embedded Software Engineer Northrop Grumman Employee Review

3.0
Jul 25, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Big company with lots of resources. Good place for young engineer to learn corporate life. Interesting and sometimes challenging technical work for software engineer - mostly C#, C++ and C using Visual Studio, although some Linux work as well. Lots of online training opportunities. Pays reasonably well, especially with overtime (if available). Good benefits.

Cons

Corporate culture is focused on stockholder value, meaning profit margin. Lots of corporate hoops to jump through, yet focus is nominally getting quality work done on tine and within budget. Not surprisingly Northrop Grumman has an uptight atmosphere. Lots of Government, especially defense contract work for US Navy. Multiple layoffs in 2010 and 2011 contribute to low morale with workforce cut nearly in half. Likely more layoffs to come if defense contracting does not pick up soon.

Explore other reviews about Northrop Grumman

5.0
May 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great hands on experience. Great people

Cons

Not much to complain aboug

1.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Not much pros but talented coworkers.

Cons

I joined expecting a long-term career and initially had a positive experience. Unfortunately, the culture changed significantly after leadership transitions. Micromanagement increased, decision-making became highly centralized, and employee morale steadily declined. Many experienced employees and managers left during my time there, making it difficult to maintain continuity and trust within the organization. The work itself was meaningful, and I had the opportunity to support important projects with talented colleagues. However, recognition, career growth, and employee retention did not appear to receive the same level of attention as process, reporting, and management oversight. My layoff was communicated as unrelated to performance, which was appreciated. However, after years of contribution and institutional knowledge, the overall experience left me feeling that employees were viewed as replaceable rather than valued long-term assets.

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