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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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 Defense Systems (NGDS) is looking for a Sr Principal Software Engineer based out of Hollywood, MD (St. Mary's County). Our Team works on state-of-the-art Mission Planning systems. This is a role in a large program that will support the full software product lifecycle in an Agile Scrum framework: requirement definition, estimation, implementation, unit testing, integration testing, SW/HW integration, test documentation, supporting test events, and customer support. The ideal candidate will be a cross-functional team player, willing to take on challenges, that collaborates with internal and external teams and that is driven to provide solutions to internal and external customers.
Responsibilities Include:
Designs, develops, documents, tests and debugs applications software and systems that contain logical and mathematical solutions while ensuring software standards are met- Maintain and improve the software CI/CD pipelines to enable fast, bug free delivery of critical business software to production
- Set up and deploy Development, Test, and Build environments
- Create and update Windows installers
- Install, test, and verify software products
- Provide support for the software build and installation
- Work within a Cross-Functional scrum to develop high-priority mission planning features.
- Understand third-party software and hardware peripherals to support implementation of software interfaces and support integration
- Develop software test products such as Verification Cross Reference Matrices to tie software requirements to software tests, Software Test Plans, Software Test Procedures, and Software Test Reports.
- Define and develop test approaches for new software and system capabilities.
- Compile data and define changes required in testing procedures or new testing requirements.
- Perform frequent Smoke Testing and frequent Acceptance Testing on SW builds.
- Resolve technical issues within a scrum, across scrums, and with the support of other functional roles.
- Interface on a technical level with the customer
- Support authoring and development of contract deliverable documentation that support deliverable software products and test events
- Help define automated test strategies.
- Support the Agile Framework as a Scrum Master, when required
All work must be performed on-site in Hollywood, MD
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM and a minimum of 9 years of relevant (Computer Science, etc.) experience, or 7 years of experience with a Master’s degree (Computer Science, etc.). Relevant (Computer Science, etc.) years of experience in lieu of degree may be considered
- Current DoD Secret Clearance (adjudicated within the last 5 years), with ability to obtain a Top-Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) clearances
- Experience with/using Agile Methodology and Continuous Integration (CI) / Continuous Deployment (CD) Tools (Bamboo, Jenkins) and Practices
- Current DoD Secret Clearance and ability to obtain SAP access
- Experience as a Scrum Master
- Proficiency in C# and/or Java and Object-Oriented Software Design paradigms
- Experience with Microsoft Windows technologies
- Test procedure development and maintenance
- Experience supporting/coordinating formal test events
- Experience with one or more of the following scripts: yaml, Python, PowerShell, Batch, Typescript
- Automated test script or test procedure development and maintenance for software testing
- Experience with automated testing and test software such as TestComplete 4
- A functional understanding of how revision control systems (e.g., BitBucket, git, CVS, etc.) are used
- Hands-on system troubleshooting skills
Preferred (Nice to Have) Qualifications:
- Proficiency in C#, .NET Framework
- Experience with Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Microsoft Windows-based Applications
- Experience with Microservice development and service communication protocols such as gRPC and/or REST
- Experience with Software Design Patterns
- Experience with/using Relational Databases, SQL
- Experience with the Atlassian Tool Suite: Bitbucket, Jira, Confluence, Crucible/Fish-eye
- Familiarity with/using/deploying to Cloud technology: Azure and/or AWS
- Familiarity with/using Containers in Docker and/or Kubernetes
- Experience with/using and/or managing these DevOps tools: Ansible, Terraform, Chef, or Puppet
- Previous in-depth mission planning domain knowledge of program software design and code
- Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) or Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM™) certification
- Experience working with requirements in DOORS.
- Demonstrated ability to implement process improvements, streamline activities, and develop efficiencies.
- Strong interpersonal and analytic skills; Works well in a team-environment
- Experience with Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) Framework (FW
- Exposure to Infrastructure as Code (IaC) development
- Experience with Air Force mission planning
- CompTIA Security+ Certification
- Active Top-Secret Clearance (adjudicated within the last 5 years) and SCI/SAP access
Primary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00 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 73 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland
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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
- Northrop Grumman12

- GliaCell Technologies11

- Envision Innovative Solutions8

- Leidos4

- Riverstone Enterprise Solutions4
Top Industries Hiring
- Medical Devices
- Aerospace & Defense
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 Northrop Grumman, GliaCell Technologies, and Envision Innovative Solutions, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 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 58% of principal software engineer openings tied to Maryland are remote or hybrid as of November 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 73 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland
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