Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado
Principal Software Engineer jobs in Colorado concentrate in aerospace and defense, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise software, with the state ranking among the most active markets in the country for senior technical leadership. Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs anchor the largest share of openings, where employers like Lockheed Martin, Oracle, and Palantir maintain significant engineering operations. The most in-demand specialties are distributed systems architecture, platform engineering, and machine learning infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.At the heart of Defining Possible is our commitment to missions. In rapidly changing global security environments, Northrop Grumman brings informed insights and software-secure technology to enable strategic planning. We’re looking for innovators who can help us keep building on our wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies that fuel those missions. By joining in our shared mission, we’ll support yours of expanding your personal network and developing skills, whether you are new to the field, or an industry thought leader. At Northrop Grumman you’ll have the resources, support, and team to do some of the best work of your career.
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems would like you to join our team as a Sr. Principal Cyber Software Engineer (Level 2 CNO Analyst/Programmer) . Places of performance for this position are Annapolis Junction MD, San Antonio TX, Aurora CO, and Carey, NC.
What You’ll Get to Do:
Provides custom software design and development of specialized tools and techniques. Designs and develops end-to-end data flow and tasking into the tools developed. Provides/authors documentation, participate in design, code, and software readiness reviews in accordance with the Government's software development procedures and processes. Program in Assembly, C, C++, Java, Perl, or Python. Develop Windows applications using Visual Studio or .NET environments; UNIX applications using make files or comparable build environments; or, Embedded or mobile platform development using proprietary, GOTS, or open-source build environments. Provide/author documentation, participate in design, code, and software readiness reviews as prescribed by the Government's software development procedures and processes.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or network engineering with 8 years of experience, Masters degree with 6 years of experience, PhD with 0 year of experience.
- Current/active TS/SCI w/Polygraph (through the MD Customer)
- Experience in Python or C/C++ programming
- Experience with troubleshooting and debugging systems
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience analyzing user requirements to derive software design and performance requirements
- Software analysis or reverse engineering
- CNO development concepts, tools and techniques
- Unit testing frameworks and practices
This position description does not represent a current opening but may be used to identify candidates with skills and experience for positions within Northrop Grumman that frequently become available. Candidates who express an interest may be considered for future positions at Northrop Grumman.
What We Can Offer You:
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment which encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Northrop Grumman benefits give you the flexibility and control to choose the benefits that make the most sense for you and your family.
Your benefits will include the following: Health Plan, Savings Plan, Paid Time Off and Additional Benefits including: Education Assistance, Training and Development, 9/80 Work Schedule (where available), and much more!
Primary Level Salary Range: $149,300.00 - $234,600.00 The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business. The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.
See All 45 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado
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Find JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Jobs by City in Colorado
Where Colorado roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Software Engineer Job Market in Colorado
A snapshot from current Colorado openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman12

- BAE Systems USA7

- Sierra Space3

- Palo Alto Networks3

- Auria2

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Science & Research
What Colorado Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal software engineer jobs across Colorado.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
- Ten or more years of professional software engineering experience, with at least three in a principal or staff-level role
- Demonstrated ability to define technical roadmaps and drive architecture decisions across multiple engineering teams
- Deep expertise in at least one major cloud platform such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
- Experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives and mentoring senior engineers toward organizational goals
- Strong proficiency in system design, distributed systems, and performance optimization at production scale
Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal software engineer in Colorado?
Reaching principal-level in Colorado typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, followed by years of progressive engineering experience culminating in demonstrated technical leadership. Colorado has no state-issued license or exam for software engineers, so advancement is driven by an internal promotion track or direct hiring. Colorado employers weight architecture ownership, staff mentorship history, and cross-team impact heavily when evaluating principal-level candidates.
How much do principal software engineers make in Colorado?
Principal software engineers in Colorado earn a median of about $138,390 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $96,480 for the lowest 10% to over $213,010 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire principal software engineers in Colorado?
Employers hiring principal software engineers in Colorado right now include Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems USA, and Sierra Space, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Colorado's concentration of aerospace primes, cloud infrastructure firms, and government technology contractors creates steady demand for principal engineers who can operate across regulated and commercial environments.
Which Colorado cities have the most principal software engineer jobs?
Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder account for the most principal software engineer openings in Colorado. Denver drives volume through its dense cluster of tech headquarters, financial services firms, and health technology companies, while Boulder attracts early-stage and high-growth software companies, and Colorado Springs benefits from the large defense and government contracting presence anchored by nearby military installations.
Are there remote principal software engineer jobs in Colorado?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 45% of principal software engineer openings tied to Colorado are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how naturally the role suits distributed work. The parts of the job most likely to stay fully remote are architecture review, roadmap planning, and cross-team technical alignment, while roles with classified government or defense components almost always require an on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a principal software engineer in Colorado with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is building toward principal through a senior engineer role first, since Colorado employers rarely hire into principal titles without demonstrated leadership experience. Colorado's aerospace and defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, run structured associate and rotational engineering programs that develop talent from new-grad level upward. Lateral moves from tech lead or staff engineer roles are the most common door into principal, and an open-source portfolio or evidence of system design ownership gives candidates a strong edge.
Where can I find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Colorado?
You can find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Colorado on Migrate Mate, which lists current Colorado openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly.
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