Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer
Location: Remote-first with optional access to Tysons, Virginia office
Security Clearance: Must be eligible for TS/SCI clearance; active clearance preferred
Experience Level: 12+ years
Security Note: This position requires U.S. citizenship and eligibility for TS/SCI clearance. We provide clearance sponsorship for qualified candidates.

The Role
We're seeking a Principal Software Engineer to drive our company-wide technical strategy and lead breakthrough technology initiatives. You'll shape our innovation pipeline, maintain senior customer relationships, and serve as a technical authority across our core product offerings while leading technology roadmap development for next-generation government analytics solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Technical Leadership
• Drive company-wide technical strategy and architecture decisions
• Define innovation pipelines and technology roadmaps for our core analytics platforms
• Lead breakthrough technology initiatives and establish technical standards
• Serve as technical advisor to executive leadership on strategic technology decisions

Customer & Business Leadership
• Maintain senior customer relationships with DoD leadership and technical stakeholders
• Lead capture teams and strategic business development initiatives
• Serve as primary technical interface for major program opportunities
• Drive technology transitions from R&D to operational systems

Innovation & Research Excellence
• Lead patent development and intellectual property creation
• Drive research collaborations with universities and industry partners
• Establish thought leadership through publications and conference presentations
• Pioneer emerging technology adoption in AI/ML, data analytics, and distributed systems

Organizational Technical Development
• Mentor and develop technical talent across engineering teams
• Establish engineering best practices and development methodologies
• Lead technical hiring and capability assessment
• Drive cross-functional technical initiatives spanning multiple programs

Required Qualifications Experience & Education
• 12+ years of senior software engineering experience with progressive technical leadership
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field required
• Active TS/SCI security clearance preferred; clearance eligibility required
• Proven track record of leading large-scale technical initiatives

Technical Expertise
• Expert-level proficiency in multiple languages from our core stack: Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, React, Node.js, Golang, Rust
• Deep experience with distributed systems architecture and microservices design
• Advanced knowledge of data engineering, analytics platforms, and AI/ML systems
• Expertise with Google Cloud Platform, Kubernetes, and cloud-native architecture

Leadership & Strategy
• Demonstrated experience driving technical strategy for organizations
• Track record of successful customer technical relationships
• Experience leading capture teams and business development technical efforts
• Proven ability to translate business requirements into technical vision

Preferred Qualifications
• Master's or PhD in technical field
• Published research in AI/ML, data science, or distributed systems
• Patent portfolio or significant intellectual property contributions
• Previous CTO, Distinguished Engineer, or Principal Engineer experience
• Speaking experience at major industry conferences
• Active participation in open-source communities
• Previous experience scaling engineering organizations
• Government contracting experience with DoD/Navy/Air Force customers
• Experience with SBIR/STTR programs and technology transition processes
• Knowledge of government security compliance frameworks (NIST, FISMA, CMMC)