Lead, Software Engineer 

Location: Herndon, Virginia
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Schedule: 9/80 schedule – employees work 9 out of every 14 days, with every other Friday off
Salary Range: $170,000
Security Clearance: Active Secret Clearance Required
Visa Sponsorship: Not Available
Travel: Occasional travel may be required
Relocation: Possible for an ideal candidate

About the Organization

The organization operates within the aerospace, aviation, and defense industry and develops advanced software solutions supporting mission-critical systems and technology modernization initiatives. The organization offers an engineering-focused environment where software professionals work on complex products, system modernization, and next-generation technology solutions.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Lead Software Engineer to support multiple software product deliveries, system modernization initiatives, and future growth programs. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership, take ownership of software products, and contribute throughout the complete software development lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through development, testing, deployment, and sustainment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across software engineering teams and mentor junior engineers.
  

• Take ownership of software products and drive successful delivery throughout the development lifecycle.
  

• Utilize modern AI-assisted development tools to improve software design, implementation, testing, debugging, and delivery.
  

• Develop and maintain high-quality, scalable software applications.
  

• Participate in requirements analysis, architecture, system design, development, testing, deployment, and sustainment.
  

• Apply Agile software development methodologies.
  

• Troubleshoot complex technical issues and perform root-cause analysis.
  

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver enterprise-scale software solutions.
  

• Maintain strong engineering standards related to quality, security, performance, and reliability.
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree with at least 9 years of relevant experience, or Graduate Degree with at least 7 years of related experience.
  

• In lieu of a degree, 13 years of relevant experience may be considered.
  

• Active Secret Security Clearance is required.
  

• Strong technical leadership and ownership mindset.
  

• Experience across the full software development lifecycle.
  

• Strong software architecture and system design experience.
  

• Experience working in Agile software development environments.
  

Preferred Technical Skills

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience.
  

• Strong Java and C++ development experience.
  

• Strong experience with Java Spring Boot and REST APIs.
  

• Multi-threaded application development.
  

• Database design and integration.
  

• Linux development environments.
  

• CI/CD pipeline development and maintenance, including Jenkins.
  

• Containerized software development and deployment.
  

• Docker and Kubernetes administration.
  

• Kubernetes and cloud/hybrid-cloud deployment experience.
  

• AWS GovCloud or cloud-native application development.
  

• DevSecOps practices and automated testing frameworks.
  

• Strong debugging, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills.
  

• Cybersecurity-aware software development experience.
  

• Distributed systems and enterprise-scale application development.
  

• Experience in DoD, SATCOM, networking, gateway, or telecommunications environments is highly preferred.
  

Benefits may include:

• Health and disability insurance
  

• 401(k) match
  

• Flexible spending accounts
  

• Employee Assistance Program
  

• Education assistance
  

• Parental leave
  

• Paid time off
  

• Company-paid holidays
  

• Potential relocation assistance for an ideal candidate
  

Important: This position requires an active Secret clearance, and visa sponsorship is not available.