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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Develop and maintain BAE Systems Aerospace and Mission Systems (AMS) Electrical Special Test Equipment (ESTE) at payload and spacecraft levels. Serve as first line of support for program issues for ESTE at payload and spacecraft levels. Develop cost efficient software solutions for our ESTE racks.
The Engineering, Science and Analysis (ESA) Strategic Capabilities Unit comprises the technical talent and organizational leadership that enables the successful delivery of high-impact discriminating technologies for our customers’ missions. Our collaborative, cross-functional teams are committed to innovation, integrity, continual learning and strong execution.
What You’ll Do:
- Develop and lead designs for new ESTE systems:
- Requirements definition.
- Design review.
- System design.
- Software development.
- Automated test/verification procedures.
- Perform failure mode and transient analysis documents for ESTE systems.
- Write detailed user manuals.
- Post-delivery support.
- Support a large, existing base of ESTE systems:
- LabVIEW codebase.
- Ruby verification codebase.
- Electronics troubleshooting.
- Customer support.
- Leverage heritage designs to save schedule and cost when appropriate.
- Establish and maintain reuse standards of common electrical test equipment.
- Forecast engineering labor and material costs for new business proposals.
- Develop bills of material & product structures.
- Identify and track long lead procurements.
- Work with production planners and assembly technicians to resolve issues during fabrication cycle.
- Report status of tasks and troubleshoot Hardware/Software Systems to overcome obstacles that are preventing progress.
- Create and implement information assurance plans to document the reuse of ESTE systems on classified programs (includes part identification, SW patching, cleansing procedures, & rack ingress).
- Coordinate ESTE rack ingress process on classified programs (required coordination with ITS, Linux Admins, Program Security, Program Execution, & SysOps).
- Own the entire Information Assurance (IA) rack ingress process for ESTE used on classified programs including part identification, SW patching, cleansing procedures.
- Assist in the management of engineering task creation and tracking.
- Assist in the management of general design practices for the ESTE & TS&CM organization
- Network with co-workers to understand the expertise of colleagues who can provide consultation for problem solving.
- Assist and mentor junior engineers.
- Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.
- Perform other duties as necessary.
On-Site Work Environment: This position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site five days each normally scheduled week in the primary work location. Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.
Working Conditions:
- Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or cleanroom, outdoors or remote research environment.
- May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required.
- May access other facilities in various weather conditions.
Required Education, Experience, & Skills
- BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 8 or more years related experience.
- Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master’s Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience. Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education. Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education.
- Mastery of:
- Multiple programming languages (ie. Python, Ruby, etc).
- Willingness to obtain a DoW security clearance.
A security clearance or access with Polygraph is not required to be eligible for this position. However, the applicant must be willing and eligible for submission, depending on program requirements, after an offer is accepted and must be able to maintain the applicable clearance/access.
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills
- The following proficiencies are strongly desired:
- COSMOS/OpenC3/Ruby.
- Electronics and signal conditioning.
- PXI/e programming.
- cRIO programming.
- LXI-based instrumentation programming.
- Microsoft products (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Visio).
- Software source control (Git).
- Linux.
- Full system lifecycle development (design, manufacturing, test).
- LabVIEW Windows.
- LabVIEW Realtime.
- LabVIEW FPGA.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to exercise them in a technical environment.
- Demonstrate hands-on design and troubleshooting ability.
Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $132962 - $226035
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.
Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems, Inc.
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Space & Mission Systems is a leading provider of national defense and civil space applications, advanced remote sensing, scientific and tactical systems for government and commercial customers. We continually pioneer ways to innovate spacecraft, mission payloads, optical systems, and other defense and civil capabilities. Powered by endlessly curious people with an unwavering mission focus, we continually discover ways to enable our customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most.
This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.
Multiple positions may be available on this opening.
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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 USA11

- SciTec3

- True Anomaly3

- Vantor2

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 SciTec, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 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 Aurora 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 43% of principal software engineer openings tied to Colorado are remote or hybrid as of November 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.
See All 52 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado
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