Software Engineering Service Management Lead

KBR Inc

Houston, TX

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Agile Programming Methodologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Best Practices, Budgeting, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), Change Management, Cloud Architecture, Cloud Computing, Coaching, Code Reviews, Coding Standards, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS), Communication Skills, Computer Science, Conflict Resolution, Continuous Deployment/Delivery, Continuous Integration, Contract Management, Contract Requirements, Delivery Management, Design Patterns Programming Methodologies, DevOps, Documentation, Engineering Management, Financial Management, Forecasting, Human Health, Kanban, Leadership, Maintain Compliance, Medical Record System, Mentoring, Microservices, Microsoft SharePoint, Multitasking, Operational Expenditure (OPEX), Organizational Skills, People Management, Performance Reviews, Power BI, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Pricing, Product Lifecycle Management, Programming Languages, Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Software, Project/Program Management, Purchasing/Procurement, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Compliance, Reliability Engineering, Risk Analysis, Safety Compliance, Safety Standards, Safety Training, Scrum Project Management and Software Development, Software Architecture, Software Design, Software Development, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Software Engineering, Strategic Planning, Systems Reliability, Team Lead/Manager, Technical Leadership, Technical Strategy, Technical Writing, Technical/Engineering Design, Test Automation, Time Management, Vendor/Supplier Management, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Writing Skills
LOCATION
Houston, TX
POSTED
19 days ago

Title:

Software Engineering Service Management Lead

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

Around here, we define the future.

We are a company of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers. But we all share one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely.

On the Human Health and Performance Contract we are at the forefront of safeguarding astronaut health, ensuring human performance, and advancing technologies for human space exploration. We are seeking a Software Engineering Service Management Lead to lead our internal software engineering teams at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX.

What You'll Do:

In this role you will provide technical leadership, organizational direction, and full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) oversight for HHPC's software engineering team. Your mission is to drive software engineering excellence, strengthen delivery discipline, and ensure all software meets NASA's quality, safety, and compliance standards.

Financial and Deliverable Management

  • Lead labor forecasting, planning, estimating, execution, and reporting to ensure accurate financial visibility and alignment with NASA and contract requirements.
  • Manage successful execution of all contracted technical work within the authorized budget and schedule, ensuring compliance with cost, schedule, and performance commitments.
  • Develop and manage work breakdown structures, proposals, pricing inputs, and Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates to support task order planning and modifications.
  • Drive requirements clarification, verify scope alignment, and ensure all deliverables meet NASA acceptance criteria.
  • Oversee vendor management activities including non‑labor procurement, subcontract coordination, and ensuring timely, compliant support from external partners.

Software Engineering Leadership

  • Hire, mentor, coach, and develop software engineers
  • Conduct regular 1‑on‑1s and collaborate with functional manager on performance reviews and workforce development
  • Build and sustain a high performing software engineering culture

Technical Oversight

  • Oversee software architecture, code reviews, and technical documentation
  • Ensure systems are secure, scalable, and aligned with NASA requirements
  • Guide solution design and ensure software engineering quality across all initiatives

Delivery & SDLC Management

  • Deploy Agile practices (Scrum/Kanban) to improve team velocity and predictability
  • Deploy, optimize, and manage CI/CD pipelines to increase release frequency and reduce defects
  • Manage engineering capacity, eliminate technical debt, and ensure reliable sprint delivery
  • Define and execute software development strategy across the entire SDLC

Modern Software Engineering Practices

  • Establish coding standards, design patterns, and engineering best practices
  • Implement DevOps, automated testing, and AI assisted development
  • Apply modern engineering capabilities where appropriate (i.e. observability, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), security engineering, containerization, infrastructure‑as‑code, AI/ML integration, and cloud‑native operations) to strengthen system reliability and delivery efficiency

Product & Platform Development

  • Lead development of COTS solutions, custom applications, and platform-based tools (SharePoint, PowerApps, Power BI)
  • Support development for Electronic Health Record (EHR)-related systems
  • Manage full product lifecycle from ideation through optimization

NASA Coordination & Compliance

  • Ensure alignment with NASA technical, safety, cost, schedule, and compliance requirements
  • Participate in NASA boards, technical reviews, design reviews, and risk assessments
  • Communicate schedule, risks, and technical status to NASA leadership

What You Bring:

  • Experience leading technical strategy and software engineering delivery across complex software programs
  • Strong background in project management, personnel management, and financial management
  • Familiarity with NASA JSC processes and strict adherence to documentation, safety, and review requirements

Your Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical discipline (or equivalent experience)
  • 10+ years of full‑stack software development experience
  • 5+ years of experience leading software engineering teams
  • Expertise in modern programming languages, cloud technologies, and microservices architectures.
  • Strong mastery of Agile/Scrum frameworks and DevOps practices
  • Exceptional emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and communication skills.
  • Proven track record in project and personnel leadership
  • Experience managing both operating (opex) and capital (capex) budgets
  • PMP certification (preferred)

Your Skills:

  • Extensive IT project management and application development background
  • Strong leadership and organizational change management abilities
  • Ability to hire, develop, and retain high‑performing technical staff
  • Expertise in serverless and cloud‑native architectures
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment
  • Strong proficiency in modern programming languages and frameworks

What to Expect

This position is onsite and in person at NASA JSC. Occasional travel may be required.

Why KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to an ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team's philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver - Together.

KBR Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Click here to learn more: KBR Benefits New | KBR

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team's philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver - Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

About the Company

K

KBR Inc

When you become part of the When you become part of the KBR team, your opportunities are endless. As a leading global technology, engineering, procurement and construction company serving the hydrocarbons and government services industries. For decades it has been the company that customers turn to for their most challenging assignments.

With operations in 40 countries, KBR has more than 25,000 people delivering services to customers in over 70 countries. Together they represent an unmatched reservoir of talent and experience in a wide range of markets.

Whatever the assignment, no matter how complex or demanding, KBR can marshal resources across every product line to respond quickly and effectively to changing markets and customer needs.

Whether it's providing the technology and consulting know-how to develop our customers' valuable assets; designing and constructing the infrastructure and facilities to develop energy resources in some of the world's more remote and challenging locations; providing support and services for men and women of their countries' armed forces; or navigating the intricacies of undertaking major projects in geopolitically or culturally sensitive environments, our clients depend on KBR because they know that We Deliver.

Join us and you'll be part of a dynamic, elite team of professionals who understand what it takes to get a job done and has the experience, knowledge and determination to succeed.”

COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
Construction - Industrial Facilities and Infrastructure
FOUNDED
1998
WEBSITE
https://www.kbr.com/en