Software Applications Engineer Jobs in San Diego, CA
Software Applications Engineer jobs in San Diego are concentrated in Sorrento Valley, Torrey Pines, and Kearny Mesa, with strong demand across defense technology, biotech software, and enterprise systems. Employers hiring right now include Brain, Leidos, and Northrop Grumman. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Description
Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Sr. Applications Software Engineer in our National Security Sector's (NSS) Cyber & Analytics Business Area (CABA). Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits, including Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security!
PROGRAM SUMMARY:
Product development includes tactical mobile development as well as enterprise web application development. The portfolio of products support the Cybersecurity and Information Assurance domains. These systems deploy a variety of technologies and communicate with infrastructure interfaces to bring secure, modern-day Cybersecurity and Cryptographic Key Management solutions to the warfighter.
Primary Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will work on a mix of web service development, full stack web application development and robust persistence layer implementations in an Agile Scrum environment. This involves the use of Themes, Epics, User Stories, acceptance criteria and other system engineering artifacts as part of an Agile team. He/she will use a variety of software engineering best practices and clean coding techniques to ensure that developed code is maintainable, efficient, reliable, understandable, secure, fault tolerant and meets S.O.L.I.D coding principles.
The candidate will be an expert in secure software development principles and techniques. He/she will use software tools in cooperation with continuous integration and test automation management process and understand software components and their interface requirements. The candidate will interface with software engineers, system engineers, information assurance engineers, test engineers, quality assurance, and other project team members. He/she will be responsible for setting the standards and helping the team adopt and adhere to Test Driven Development (TDD) practices within the Leidos Agile Framework to ensure the proper degree of engineering rigor is applied to all assigned tasks. The candidate will also mentor junior software engineers.
Basic Qualifications:
BS Degree in Computer Science/Computer Engineer or equivalent and 17+ years of relevant experience or a Masters with 15+ years of prior experience
Active Secret Clearance (Required)
Experience with web-based (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) in a web-based environment
Experience in Scrum Methodology or other Agile environments (e.g., SAFe, XP)
Experience with UI / Development Frameworks (E.g, AngularJS, Ionic, GWT, SmartGWT, Qt, React, Node.js)
Experience with Automated Testing Tools/Technologies/Concepts (Selenium, Cucumber, Gherkin, BDD)
Experience with Test Driven Development (TDD)
Works well in a team environment and has excellent written and communication skills
DoD 8570 approved security certification (i.e., Security +) (Will be required 90 days after hire).
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with Web Services Architectures (REST, SOAP, AWS)
Experience with Software CM (e.g., Git, GitHub)
Experience with Continuous Integration / Quality, and DevOps concepts and tools / technologies (e.g., Ant / Maven, Jenkins, SonarQube, FishEye, Crucible, Gradle, Junit)
Experience with Security Scanning (HP Fortify, HP WebInspect)
Experience with Build Scripts (e.g., Maven, ANT)
Experience with Mobile Application Development
Experience with Agile Management Tools and Concepts (e.g., VersionOne, JIRA, Rally, etc.)
Experience with Web Server Configuration (e.g., JBOSS, Wildfly, Tomcat)
Experience with Database Development (e.g., Postgres, SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite, Oracle)
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
July 9, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.
Securing Your Data
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
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Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
Software Applications Engineer Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a software applications engineer job in San Diego?
Focus your search on San Diego's defense and government contracting sector around Kearny Mesa and Sorrento Valley, where employers routinely hire engineers to build and maintain mission-critical applications. Biotech and life sciences companies along the Torrey Pines corridor also run active software teams. Candidates with experience in embedded systems, C++, or systems integration tend to stand out in this market, as does any familiarity with government program environments.
Which companies hire software applications engineers in San Diego?
Companies currently hiring software applications engineers in San Diego include Brain, Leidos, and Northrop Grumman, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. San Diego's employer mix skews toward defense contractors, biotech software teams, and mid-size technology firms rather than the large consumer software companies more common in Silicon Valley.
Are there remote software applications engineer jobs in San Diego?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the sector. About 0% of software applications engineer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, with remote work more common at commercial software and SaaS companies than at defense contractors, which typically require on-site presence due to security clearance and classified environment requirements.
How can I get a software applications engineer job in San Diego with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Diego is through junior or associate engineer roles at mid-size defense contractors and biotech software teams, which hire entry-level candidates and provide structured onboarding. Local employers in the Sorrento Valley and Kearny Mesa corridors frequently post positions for engineers fresh out of university programs at UC San Diego or San Diego State. Building familiarity with systems like requirements management tools or any government program software gives newer candidates a concrete edge.
Which industries hire the most software applications engineers in San Diego?
The sectors hiring the most software applications engineers in San Diego are Technology & Software and Consulting & Professional Services, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. San Diego's strong defense contracting base and nationally significant biotech cluster are the primary drivers of consistent local demand for software applications engineering talent.
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