Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Position Title: Principal Software Technical Lead
Requisition ID: 1842
Position Location: Fairfax, VA
Position Reports To: Engineering Functional Manager
Supervises Others: No

Trident has built a reputation as a trusted provider of aerospace and defense electronics & processing systems including digital RF & Optical command and control solutions and atmospheric & airborne sensors. Our three operating units: Space Electronic Systems (SES), Integrated C4ISR Systems (ICS) and Optical Precision Systems (OPS), develop within the agile framework which enables us to produce proven, purpose-built systems that solve our customers’ mission critical challenges across space, air, land, and sea.

Trident’s Integrated C4ISR Systems (ICS) specializes in products and services which improve the safety and survivability of our armed forces. We develop solutions for a wide range of demanding missions and environments, including tactical communications systems for multi-national interoperability, autonomous predictive maintenance and logistics solutions, and scalable, responsive, all-domain surveillance systems. Trident's integrated systems support the protection of the National Capital Region and various military installations both domestic and abroad. We can deliver innovative, high-performance solutions that meet our customers' evolving requirements by integrating our specialized knowledge in electronic systems with appropriately scaled development methodologies.

Position Summary

The Principal Software Technical Lead will lead the execution of software development activities supporting an aerial surveillance system for a Department of Defense customer. The candidate will provide technical leadership for a software team responsible for an integrated application that interfaces with external system sensors, captured video, static imagery, and hardware devices.

The successful candidate will serve as the technical focal point for the software team, ensuring delivery of high-quality mission-critical capabilities while coordinating cross-functional activities and providing periodic status to program leadership. Software development activities utilize Java and include integration with external hardware devices. The ability to obtain a US security clearance is required.

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibility for this role is to provide technical leadership for a software development team throughout the software development lifecycle.

• Lead software architecture, technical design, and implementation activities for integrated aerial surveillance and sensor systems.
• Serve as the technical lead and subject matter expert for real-time surveillance, sensor integration, and distributed software applications.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to software engineers throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Analyze system requirements and decompose features into executable software tasks and technical solutions.
• Support technical planning, software design reviews, peer reviews, and architecture discussions.
• Coordinate with systems engineering, QA, network engineering, cybersecurity, and integration teams to support integrated system capabilities.
• Evaluate and integrate new technologies, frameworks, and capabilities into existing software baselines.
• Support customer technical discussions, demonstrations, deployments, and test activities.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation for software designs, interfaces, testing, and system operation.
• Collaborate with Product Owners and Program Management to prioritize and manage software backlogs.
• Monitor software execution and delivery against program objectives.
• Identify, communicate, and mitigate technical risks and issues impacting software execution.
• Provide periodic status reports to Program Management Office (PMO) leadership regarding technical progress, schedule performance, resource requirements, risks, issues, dependencies, and mitigation plans.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or equivalent from an accredited college or university, or additional relevant experience.
• Minimum of 9 years of professional software development experience.
• Ability to obtain a U.S. DoD Secret security clearance.
• Java programming experience / skills.
• Working knowledge of the full software development lifecycle.
• Experience with distributed publish/subscribe software architectures.
• Experience with Linux operating systems.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional engineering teams and customer stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading software teams or serving in a technical leadership role.
• Active U.S. DoD Secret security clearance.
• Experience working within agile development methodologies (e.g., Scrum, SAFe, or similar).
• Experience with software design for interaction with cameras, gimbals, radars, and other sensor systems.
• Experience with video capture, processing, and display systems.
• Experience supporting formal engineering reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR.
• Experience with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworks.
• Experience leading teams developing mission-critical C4ISR, ISR, or command-and-control systems.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $120,000 - $222,000
Please Note: Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, internal equity, business considerations, and geographic location where applicable.

Benefits

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:

• Health benefits
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Basic life with AD&D
  • Short term disability
  • Long term disability
  • Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
  • Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• 401(k) (including automatic company contribution)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Leaves (Parental, pregnancy, and military)
• Potential annual bonus

Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Trident Systems is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact recruiting@tridsys.com.

Pay Transparency: The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)