Principal Engineer Jobs in South Carolina
Principal Engineer jobs in South Carolina are concentrated in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, where defense contracting, advanced manufacturing, and energy infrastructure drive steady demand for senior technical talent. Employers like Boeing, Michelin, and Bosch have deep roots in the state and regularly hire principal engineers across systems, mechanical, and software disciplines. The role sits at the top of the individual contributor track, and most openings call for deep domain expertise in one of those specialties. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Job ID: 2618938
Location: North Charleston, SC, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-09
Category: Software
Subcategory: SW Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking a SW Engineer Principal to join our team. The DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) SW Engineer Principal (DCWF 341) is a specialized technical role within the Cyberspace Effects workforce element. Personnel in this role write, reverse-engineer, and test low-level code, binaries, and scripts used for force projection or external defense operations. At the Intermediate to Advanced levels, developers transition away from heavily supervised tasks to autonomously engineering complex software tools, identifying zero-day hardware/software flaws, and leading code analysis pipelines. This position is located in North Charleston, SC.
Key Responsibilities:
- Capability Engineering: Design, develop, and test custom software utilities and scripts to satisfy operational cyber requirements.
- Low-Level Development: Write and maintain scalable, robust code utilizing C, C++, Python, and Assembly language.
- Reverse Engineering & Vulnerability Analysis: Analyze software binaries and malware to dissect functions, isolate anomalies, and identify exploitable hardware/software flaws.
- Operational Testing: Conduct rigorous software containment, isolation, and testing utilizing sandboxes and virtualization environments.
- Technical Guidance: Provide technical peer reviews of code repositories and mentor junior developers working under the Joint Basic CCD framework.
Qualifications
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelors degree and nine (9) years work experience; Masters and seven (7) years of work experience; four (4) years additional work experience in lieu of degree.
- Proficient with reverse-engineering suites and debugging utilities (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, OllyDbg, GDB).
- Deep understanding of computer networking protocols, network security methodologies, and application-layer security vulnerabilities.
- Familiarity with secure coding standards and mitigation strategies against memory corruption vulnerabilities.
Clearance Requirements:
- An active TS/SCI clearance is required to start.
Job ID: 2618938
Location: North Charleston, SC, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-09
Category: Software
Subcategory: SW Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking a SW Engineer Principal to join our team. The DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) SW Engineer Principal (DCWF 341) is a specialized technical role within the Cyberspace Effects workforce element. Personnel in this role write, reverse-engineer, and test low-level code, binaries, and scripts used for force projection or external defense operations. At the Intermediate to Advanced levels, developers transition away from heavily supervised tasks to autonomously engineering complex software tools, identifying zero-day hardware/software flaws, and leading code analysis pipelines. This position is located in North Charleston, SC.
Key Responsibilities:
- Capability Engineering: Design, develop, and test custom software utilities and scripts to satisfy operational cyber requirements.
- Low-Level Development: Write and maintain scalable, robust code utilizing C, C++, Python, and Assembly language.
- Reverse Engineering & Vulnerability Analysis: Analyze software binaries and malware to dissect functions, isolate anomalies, and identify exploitable hardware/software flaws.
- Operational Testing: Conduct rigorous software containment, isolation, and testing utilizing sandboxes and virtualization environments.
- Technical Guidance: Provide technical peer reviews of code repositories and mentor junior developers working under the Joint Basic CCD framework.
Qualifications
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelors degree and nine (9) years work experience; Masters and seven (7) years of work experience; four (4) years additional work experience in lieu of degree.
- Proficient with reverse-engineering suites and debugging utilities (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, OllyDbg, GDB).
- Deep understanding of computer networking protocols, network security methodologies, and application-layer security vulnerabilities.
- Familiarity with secure coding standards and mitigation strategies against memory corruption vulnerabilities.
Clearance Requirements:
- An active TS/SCI clearance is required to start.
See All 14 Principal Engineer Jobs in South Carolina
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Find Principal Engineer JobsPrincipal Engineer Jobs by City in South Carolina
Where South Carolina roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Engineer Job Market in South Carolina
A snapshot from current South Carolina openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What South Carolina Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal engineer jobs across South Carolina.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program required
- Professional Engineer license issued or recognized by the South Carolina Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors preferred for civil and systems roles
- Ten or more years of progressive engineering experience in a relevant discipline
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and set engineering standards
- Experience delivering large-scale projects in defense, advanced manufacturing, or energy sectors
- Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as CAD platforms, simulation software, or systems engineering frameworks
Principal Engineer Jobs in South Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal engineer in South Carolina?
Most principal engineers in South Carolina hold at least a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program, followed by a master's degree in competitive specialties. For civil, structural, and many systems roles, licensure as a Professional Engineer through the South Carolina Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is expected or preferred. Candidates without a PE license typically advance through demonstrated technical leadership, deep domain expertise, and a portfolio of complex project delivery across industries like defense or manufacturing.
Which companies hire principal engineers in South Carolina?
South Carolina principal engineer roles are posted by SAIC, EnerSys, and Shutterfly and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. South Carolina's defense, automotive, and aerospace manufacturing base means a wide range of large, established employers consistently open senior engineering positions throughout the year.
Which South Carolina cities have the most principal engineer jobs?
Greenville, Fort Mill, and Charleston lead South Carolina in principal engineer openings. Charleston's concentration of defense contractors and aerospace employers drives volume on the coast, Columbia's state government agencies and research institutions anchor the Midlands market, and Greenville's advanced manufacturing corridor, anchored by Michelin's North American headquarters and BMW's nearby production plant, supports strong demand in the Upstate region.
Are there remote principal engineer jobs in South Carolina?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused fields. About 80% of principal engineer openings tied to South Carolina are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on or facility-bound nature of many roles. Software systems and architecture-heavy specialties within principal engineering offer the greatest remote flexibility, while roles in manufacturing, defense hardware, or site infrastructure typically require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a principal engineer in South Carolina with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through an associate or staff engineer role at a South Carolina employer that promotes from within. Boeing in North Charleston, Michelin in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, and Bosch facilities in the Upstate regularly hire new graduates and early-career engineers into structured development programs. Building toward a Professional Engineer license through the South Carolina Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors signals seriousness to employers and opens doors that remain closed without it.
Where can I find and apply to principal engineer jobs in South Carolina?
You can find and apply to principal engineer jobs in South Carolina on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings posted by employers hiring in the state right now. Search the listings, find roles that match your discipline and experience level, and apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 14 Principal Engineer Jobs in South Carolina
Find roles in South Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal Engineer Jobs