Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland
Principal Software Engineer jobs in Maryland concentrate heavily in defense technology, cybersecurity, federal contracting, and enterprise software, reflecting the state's deep ties to government and intelligence agencies. The largest hiring metros are the Baltimore metro, the Washington D.C. suburbs including Bethesda and Rockville, and the I-270 corridor in Montgomery County, where employers such as Lockheed Martin, Leidos, and Northrop Grumman maintain major engineering operations. The most in-demand specialties include distributed systems architecture, cloud-native platform engineering, and software security engineering. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 57+ Principal Software Engineer jobs
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.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is seeking a Principal Embedded Software Engineer to join our innovative Software Technologies organization. The new team member will work on software systems for mission systems in all phases of the software development lifecycle, primarily in C/C++. This position is located in Baltimore, MD.
What You’ll Get To Do:
As a Principal Embedded Software Engineer within the Software and Digital Technologies Organization, you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of Model-based Engineering, DevSecOps and Agile practices we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning and a culture of automation.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Analyze, develop, and modify existing software, apply modern development techniques that take advantage of all that current technology has to offer
Identify risks, suggest mitigation, track defects, develop resolutions, and report status
Design, construct, and execute unit tests, and build verification test plans, and track and report test status
Work alongside a multi-disciplined engineering teams to test and verify software products on simulators and actual production hardware in our System Integration Laboratories
Identify and assess new technologies prior to implementation
Active participation with systems engineering in technical peer, design, architecture, and system reviews to ensure system/software requirements are being met from an end-to-end system point of view
“This position is contingent based on anticipated contract award and funding.”
#SD&T726
MS-250SURGE
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related STEM Degree and 5 years of related experience
US Citizenship
Must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance. Secret Clearance is required to start. Must be able to maintain this level of clearance for continued employment.
Must have 4 years’ experience working in C/C++
Must have 4 years’ experience with real-time embedded software
Must have 4 years’ experience with full software lifecycle: specification, design, implementation, integration, debug and maintenance
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in algorithmic application development and optimization
Experience with VxWorks and/or Linux Operating Systems
Experience with Visual Studio
Experience with Matlab
Experience with Coverity, SonarQube and/or KlocWork tools
Experience in Open Architecture Solutions
Experience with the Atlassian tool set, Kubernetes, Model Based Engineering, and DevSecOps best practices
Experience in Electronic Warfare, Built in Test, or Calibrations
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.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is seeking a Principal Embedded Software Engineer to join our innovative Software Technologies organization. The new team member will work on software systems for mission systems in all phases of the software development lifecycle, primarily in C/C++. This position is located in Baltimore, MD.
What You’ll Get To Do:
As a Principal Embedded Software Engineer within the Software and Digital Technologies Organization, you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of Model-based Engineering, DevSecOps and Agile practices we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning and a culture of automation.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Analyze, develop, and modify existing software, apply modern development techniques that take advantage of all that current technology has to offer
Identify risks, suggest mitigation, track defects, develop resolutions, and report status
Design, construct, and execute unit tests, and build verification test plans, and track and report test status
Work alongside a multi-disciplined engineering teams to test and verify software products on simulators and actual production hardware in our System Integration Laboratories
Identify and assess new technologies prior to implementation
Active participation with systems engineering in technical peer, design, architecture, and system reviews to ensure system/software requirements are being met from an end-to-end system point of view
“This position is contingent based on anticipated contract award and funding.”
#SD&T726
MS-250SURGE
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related STEM Degree and 5 years of related experience
US Citizenship
Must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance. Secret Clearance is required to start. Must be able to maintain this level of clearance for continued employment.
Must have 4 years’ experience working in C/C++
Must have 4 years’ experience with real-time embedded software
Must have 4 years’ experience with full software lifecycle: specification, design, implementation, integration, debug and maintenance
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in algorithmic application development and optimization
Experience with VxWorks and/or Linux Operating Systems
Experience with Visual Studio
Experience with Matlab
Experience with Coverity, SonarQube and/or KlocWork tools
Experience in Open Architecture Solutions
Experience with the Atlassian tool set, Kubernetes, Model Based Engineering, and DevSecOps best practices
Experience in Electronic Warfare, Built in Test, or Calibrations
See All 57 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Jobs by City in Maryland
Where Maryland roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Software Engineer Job Market in Maryland
A snapshot from current Maryland openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- GliaCell Technologies12
- Northrop Grumman11
- Envision Innovative Solutions5
- Leidos4
- Arsiem2
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Medical Devices
- Aerospace & Defense
- Electronics & Hardware
What Maryland Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal software engineer jobs across Maryland.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field
- Ten or more years of software engineering experience with several in a technical lead role
- Demonstrated architectural decision-making across large-scale distributed or cloud systems
- Active or eligible U.S. security clearance, commonly required by Maryland federal contractors
- Proficiency in modern backend languages such as Java, Go, or Python at enterprise scale
- Experience mentoring engineers and driving cross-team technical standards and code quality
Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal software engineer in Maryland?
There is no state-issued license or board certification required to work as a principal software engineer in Maryland. The typical path starts with a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or software engineering, followed by progressive engineering roles that build toward architecture and leadership. Maryland's federal contractor ecosystem places added weight on security clearance eligibility, so beginning the clearance process early at a defense or intelligence-adjacent employer accelerates advancement to principal-level positions.
How much do principal software engineers make in Maryland?
Principal software engineers in Maryland earn a median of about $138,680 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $87,690 for the lowest 10% to over $222,610 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire principal software engineers in Maryland?
Employers hiring principal software engineers in Maryland right now include GliaCell Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and Envision Innovative Solutions, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Maryland's concentration of defense contractors and federal agencies means that many principal-level roles in the state are tied to government program work, making the employer landscape distinct from purely commercial tech markets.
Which Maryland cities have the most principal software engineer jobs?
The Maryland cities with the most principal software engineer openings are Annapolis Junction, Fort Meade, and Columbia. The Washington D.C. suburbs, particularly Bethesda, Rockville, and Columbia, drive the bulk of demand because major defense contractors and federal health agencies have their headquarters or large operations campuses there, pulling high-seniority engineering talent into the I-270 and Baltimore-Washington corridors.
Are there remote principal software engineer jobs in Maryland?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 81% of principal software engineer openings tied to Maryland are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting the desk-based, collaborative nature of senior software work. Fully remote roles are more common in commercial product companies, while Maryland's federal contractor employers tend to require at least partial on-site presence, particularly for positions that involve classified systems or secure facilities.
How can I get hired as a principal software engineer in Maryland with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a junior or associate software engineer role at one of Maryland's large defense or technology employers, where structured career ladders connect entry-level contributors to senior and principal tracks over time. Companies such as Leidos, SAIC, and Booz Allen Hamilton run new-graduate and rotational engineering programs in the Maryland area. Building a portfolio of systems design work, contributing to open-source projects, and pursuing cloud certifications from AWS or Google Cloud gives candidates without direct principal experience a concrete credential edge when applying.
Where can I find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Maryland?
You can find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Maryland on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your background and seniority level, and apply directly to the positions that fit.
See All 57 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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