Lead Software Engineer – Marine & Scientific Systems

Select Source Solutions is seeking a Lead Software Engineer – Marine & Scientific Systems to provide senior technical leadership supporting research and survey fleet operations and associated Marine Operations Centers.

This role is responsible for the architecture, development, modernization, integration, testing, deployment, maintenance, and support of mission-critical scientific and operational software used in hydrographic surveys, oceanographic research, fisheries surveys, and other vessel-based missions.

The successful candidate will serve as a critical link between marine operations and technology, translating the needs of scientists, engineers, Marine Operations personnel, Electronics Technicians, and other stakeholders into secure, reliable, and effective software and data solutions.

Working across distributed shipboard, shoreside, and enterprise environments, you will help modernize applications, strengthen software quality, improve operational reliability, reduce integration risk, and enhance the movement of scientific and operational data between vessels and shore facilities.

This position supports an on-site and remote work environment.

What You Will Do in This Role

As the Lead Software Engineer – Marine & Scientific Systems, you will provide hands-on technical leadership across the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for applications supporting research vessels, scientific operations, and Marine Operations Centers.

Responsibilities include:

• Serve as the senior technical lead for software development, modernization, integration, and sustainment activities supporting marine and scientific operations.
• Lead the architecture, design, development, integration, testing, deployment, modernization, maintenance, and production support of mission-critical applications.
• Develop and sustain scientific, operational, data-intensive, and mission-support software used across vessel-based and shoreside environments.
• Gather and translate requirements from Marine Operations personnel, scientists, engineers, Electronics Technicians, and other stakeholders into software requirements, architectures, interfaces, and technical solutions.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership and direction to software and database developers while remaining actively involved in application development, troubleshooting, and technical problem-solving.
• Design, develop, enhance, and maintain applications using C#, .NET/.NET Core, ASP.NET, JavaScript, SQL, Visual Studio, and relational database technologies.
• Architect, develop, and integrate databases, APIs, data services, and application interfaces supporting scientific and operational workflows.
• Design solutions that enable secure and reliable data transfer between shipboard systems, shoreside facilities, cloud environments, and enterprise systems.
• Lead software testing and quality assurance activities, including unit, system, functional, interface, regression, performance, integration/interoperability, and operational-user testing.
• Conduct architecture and design reviews, code reviews and walkthroughs, test-plan evaluations, and technical documentation reviews to ensure software quality and production readiness.
• Manage or support source-code control, software configuration management, change management, release management, deployment, and quality assurance.
• Apply Agile and CMMI-aligned development practices and ensure compliance with applicable cybersecurity, IT, configuration-management, and change-control requirements.
• Troubleshoot mission-critical applications, software defects, database issues, interfaces, and complex integration challenges.
• Provide or coordinate Tier 1–3 technical support for custom-developed applications and systems.
• Collaborate with technical and operational stakeholders to modernize applications, improve system reliability, reduce technology and integration risk, and enhance scientific and operational data workflows.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation covering software architecture, system configuration, interfaces, deployment, operations, support, and end-user requirements.

What You Will Bring

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, or a related STEM discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive software development or software engineering experience.
• At least 3–5 years of experience in technical leadership, software architecture, lead development, or a comparable senior engineering role.
• Advanced hands-on experience with C#, .NET/.NET Core, JavaScript, SQL, and relational database technologies.
• Experience developing, modernizing, and supporting complex production-level applications.
• Demonstrated experience leading the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including requirements analysis, architecture and design, development, integration, testing, deployment, maintenance, and production support.
• Experience designing, developing, integrating, or supporting scientific, operational, data-intensive, or mission-critical applications.
• Strong experience with databases, APIs, application integrations, data interfaces, and distributed or interconnected systems.
• Experience with Agile software development, software testing and quality assurance, source-code management, configuration management, change management, and software release management.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex production software, database, interface, and integration issues within distributed operating environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with scientists, engineers, operational users, developers, and other technical and mission stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal government scientific, operational, or mission-focused programs.
• Experience with marine or maritime systems, shipboard applications, research vessels, oceanographic systems, hydrographic systems, fisheries systems, or scientific computing environments.
• Experience supporting software or data systems operating in distributed, disconnected, intermittently connected, or edge-computing environments.
• Experience with scientific data workflows, APIs, cloud data services, metadata, data integration, and data-transfer technologies.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), or comparable cloud platforms.
• Experience with DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and automated software deployment practices.
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I), or comparable Agile certification.
• Microsoft development, Azure, AWS, database, cloud, or comparable technical certification.

Important Note

This position is contingent upon contract award and funding. No employment relationship exists unless and until a formal written offer of employment is extended following contract award.

Work Authorization / Security Clearance Requirements

• Ability to obtain and maintain any security clearance required for the position or contract.

Work Environment

• This work is normally performed in a combination of on-site and remote environments.
• Work may be performed at Select Source Solutions, customer, government, Marine Operations Center, or other designated facilities based on operational and contract requirements.

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to access and navigate applicable Select Source Solutions and client facilities.

Travel Required

• Travel may be required on an as-needed basis based on mission and customer requirements.