Staff Software Architect

Staff Software Architect

Senior Level | $125,000 - $150,000 | Onsite | Top Secret Clearance Required | U.S. Citizenship Required

Support the development of next-generation strategic mission software by designing secure, scalable software architectures that enable critical national defense capabilities. Join a collaborative engineering team working alongside government engineers to define modern software architectures, integration patterns, and technical roadmaps supporting mission planning and command-and-control (C2) systems. You'll serve as the architectural leader guiding Agile development teams while ensuring software solutions prioritize cybersecurity, performance, resiliency, and long-term maintainability.
A Day in the Life - What you'll do

• Collaborate with government engineers and mission stakeholders to understand evolving software requirements supporting strategic defense missions.
• Design and document enterprise software architectures that provide implementation guidance for Agile software development teams.
• Develop secure, scalable software solutions that balance cybersecurity, system performance, reliability, maintainability, and mission effectiveness.
• Design modern system-to-system integration architectures using RESTful APIs, Kafka messaging, databases, and enterprise integration technologies.
• Develop architectural standards, reusable software patterns, and technical frameworks that accelerate Agile software delivery.
• Evaluate emerging software technologies and prototype new architectural patterns that improve scalability, security, and developer productivity.
• Collaborate closely with software developers, systems architects, cybersecurity engineers, DevSecOps engineers, and product owners throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Provide technical leadership during software design reviews, architecture working groups, and engineering planning sessions.
• Review software designs to ensure alignment with enterprise architecture standards and long-term modernization objectives.
• Develop Java-based reference implementations and architectural prototypes supporting modern web-based mission applications.
• Present architecture strategies, engineering trade studies, and technical recommendations to customers, program leadership, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Mentor development teams on software architecture best practices, secure software development, and modern engineering methodologies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) discipline from an accredited university.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Active DoD Top Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance with required special access.
• Experience designing enterprise software architectures for complex software-intensive systems.
• Experience designing system-to-system interfaces using RESTful APIs, Kafka messaging platforms, databases, and modern integration technologies.
• Experience developing software using Java and modern web-based application technologies.
• Experience presenting software architecture solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of object-oriented design principles, software architecture patterns, and distributed systems.
• Strong technical leadership, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to work onsite full-time in a classified engineering environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within Agile software development environments.
• Experience using Atlassian collaboration tools including Jira and Confluence.
• Knowledge of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) missions including Intelligence, Mission Planning, or Command & Control (C2).
• Experience evaluating cybersecurity risks, vulnerabilities, and secure software architecture principles.
• Experience supporting large-scale, mission-critical software systems.
• Experience supporting Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) systems including:
  • Strategic Mission Planning and Execution System (SMPES)
  • Mission Planning and Analysis System (MPAS)
  • Nuclear Planning and Execution System (NPES)
• Experience supporting DevSecOps software development environments and modern CI/CD practices.
• Experience designing cloud-native, microservices-based, or event-driven software architectures.
• Experience supporting classified Department of Defense software development programs.

Who is Caribou Thunder?

Caribou Thunder is a HUBZone-certified small business providing advanced technical and engineering services to the U.S. Department of Defense and its mission partners.

35+ states and 20+ countries.

We've delivered trusted solutions for over two decades-strengthening national readiness across missions on land, undersea, in the air, and throughout LEO, MEO, GEO, and deep space.
Why Caribou Thunder?
TEAM THUNDER - Mission Focused. Delivery Proven. Ready to Serve.

• Employee Advocacy
• Mission Proven
• Global Reach
• Skilled Teams
• Modern Tools
• Empowering Culture

Our engineers and innovators ensure capability from sea floor to space frontier-delivering on time, maintaining compliance, and performing with precision in high-consequence environments.

We specialize in Software Architecture, Engineering Services, Cybersecurity, Software Development, DevSecOps, Digital Engineering, Modeling & Simulation, and Artificial Intelligence-disciplines powering the nation's most complex technical missions.
Employee Advocacy + Benefits

Our people are the heart of Caribou Thunder. We invest in their growth, flexibility, and well-being-knowing their success drives ours.

Benefits include:

• Premium Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with 6% Company Match
• Flexible PTO & Work Schedule
• Education & Certification Reimbursement
• Support for Military Leave
• Work-Life Balance & Traditional Family Values

Your future, your flexibility, your well-being-we invest in you.

Apply and let's connect.