Software Engineer V

About this role

Description We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join our Navy Programs team. In this role, you will serve as the technical authority for the architecture, development, integration, and fielding of mission-critical software systems supporting U.S. Navy submarines, aircraft carriers, and shore-based platforms. You will set technical direction across multiple teams while remaining hands-on in design, code, and the resolution of the hardest integration problems.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in modern C++ on Linux, a record of architecting distributed systems that shipped and were sustained in the field, and the judgment to make long-term technical decisions that balance mission needs, cost, schedule, and risk. This position is well suited for an engineer with twelve or more years of experience who has led technical efforts across multiple teams, can represent the program's technical position to Navy customers and partners, and invests in growing the engineers around them. The work includes defining and driving the modernization of legacy applications onto a Kubernetes-based platform, and directly supports U.S. Navy submarine combat systems.

This is a full-time position based in Manassas, VA. The position requires U.S. citizenship and an active DoD Secret Clearance. The annual base salary is $179,000 – $209,000, with final compensation based on experience and skills. In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is eligible for a sign-on bonus and a comprehensive benefits package including healthcare benefits (medical, dental, and vision), Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, 401(k) plan with matching company contributions, paid time off, holidays, and tuition and training reimbursement. Requirements You’ll be responsible for:

Serving as technical authority for the software architecture of U.S. Navy submarine combat systems, owning key design decisions and the rationale behind them. Defining the technical roadmap for modernizing legacy C++, Java, and Electron applications onto a Kubernetes-based platform, including the migration strategy, sequencing, and risk mitigation. Establishing architecture, interface, and coding standards across multiple development teams, and making sure designs stay consistent across application, middleware, and deployment layers. Leading the design of distributed, real-time, and service-oriented systems using gRPC, Protocol Buffers, DDS, AMQP, and data-driven interface models. Personally resolving the program's most complex software, concurrency, performance, networking, and integration problems in lab and Navy platform environments. Representing the program's technical position to Navy customers, prime contractors, and partner organizations in design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and integration events. Supporting program leadership with technical estimates, basis-of-estimate development, risk assessments, and proposal and capture activities. Mentoring technical leads and senior engineers, shaping the team's engineering culture, and helping identify and develop future technical leaders.

Required Skills: U.S. citizenship and an active DoD Secret clearance at time of hire. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, plus 12+ years of progressively responsible professional software development experience. Demonstrated experience as the lead architect or technical authority for a complex software system, across multiple teams or releases. Advanced proficiency in modern C++ (C++11 and newer), including concurrency, asynchronous design, memory management, and performance analysis. Deep Linux experience, preferably with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) or a derivative. Proven experience architecting and troubleshooting distributed, event-driven, or real-time systems in production or fielded environments. Hands-on experience with gRPC, Protocol Buffers, and messaging middleware such as DDS or AMQP. Experience defining test strategy and CI/CD practices for a multi-team software program. Experience translating system requirements and interface definitions into software architecture, and defending design decisions in formal technical reviews. Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including briefing technical strategy and risk to senior leadership and government customers.

Preferred Skills: Experience architecting or migrating applications onto Kubernetes, including operators, custom controllers, or Helm-based deployment. Experience with RTI Connext DDS or other real-time publish-subscribe middleware on mission-critical systems. Experience integrating software with tactical, combat, weapon-control, or other mission-critical Navy systems. Experience with observability architecture using tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, or Loki. Experience supporting proposals, technical volumes, or basis-of-estimate development for DoD programs. Experience with DevSecOps, secure software development practices, and supporting system accreditation. Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.