Specialist - Software Engineering Jobs in District of Columbia
Specialist - Software Engineering jobs in District of Columbia are concentrated in one of the most active technology markets on the East Coast, with strong demand across federal contracting, defense, and government IT sectors at levels from mid-level specialists to senior principals. Most hiring clusters in the Washington metro area, particularly in DC proper and adjacent Northern Virginia corridors, where employers like Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics, and Leidos maintain large engineering teams. In-demand specialties include cloud architecture, cybersecurity engineering, and full-stack development supporting mission-critical government systems. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
Security represents one of the most critical priorities for our customers in a world of increasing digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. Microsoft Security aspires to make the world a safer place for all. We are building a security cloud that helps protect users, customers, developers, devices, and data across increasingly heterogeneous environments. The Microsoft Purview team builds cloud services that power security, compliance, data governance, data loss prevention, and related experiences across Microsoft 365 and Windows. We build and operate global-scale services that transport, store, secure, and manage some of our customers’ most sensitive data. We are looking for a deeply technical Engineering Manager who combines strong engineering judgment with a drive for results. You will lead an engineering team within Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management (IRM), building and operating high-throughput multi-tenant cloud services, large-scale data processing systems.
Responsibilities
Lead a team of software engineers to deliver meaningful customer and business outcomes. Define clear objectives and measurable outcomes, establish priorities, and create accountability for execution and results.- Own the technical quality and engineering outcomes of the team. Stay deeply connected to the architecture, codebase, engineering systems, and operational health of the services your team owns.
- Drive engineering excellence across design, implementation, testing, deployment, security, reliability, performance, and maintainability using AI to improve engineering quality and effectiveness.Build a culture where engineers solve root causes, make data-driven decisions, and leave systems better than they found them.
- Drive execution with urgency and focus. Translate customer and business priorities into an executable engineering plan, identify dependencies and risks early, make appropriate tradeoffs, and maintain clarity on progress and outcomes.
- Operate and improve production services at scale. Establish a strong live-site culture, use incidents and operational data to identify systemic improvements, and hold a high bar for service reliability and customer experience.
- Develop and grow engineers. Lead, grow, coach, hire, and retain a high-performing team of engineers. Provide clear, actionable feedback and create opportunities for engineers to grow their technical capabilities, ownership, and impact.
- Collaborate across organizational and discipline boundaries. Build effective partnerships with product, engineering, and other stakeholders to resolve dependencies and deliver end-to-end customer outcomes.
- Model Microsoft’s values and leadership principles and create an inclusive environment where people can do their best work.
Embody our Culture and Values
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical discipline AND 10+ years of experience in software engineering, OR equivalent experience.- 3+ years of software engineering people management experience.
- 5+ years of experience launching and shipping multiple iterations of products to customers.
• Experience leading technical projects and working with engineers and cross-functional partners to deliver software from design through production. • Demonstrated technical depth in areas such as distributed systems, cloud services, large-scale data processing, and storage or big data platforms.
- Self-starter with strong engineering judgment, communication skills, demonstrated ability to influence across teams, and a bias toward action and results.
- Proven ability to collaborate across teams, disciplines, and levels of management while contributing to a healthy, inclusive engineering culture.
- Demonstrated customer empathy and a passion for delivering high-quality experiences and measurable customer outcomes.
- Experience with Azure cloud technologies and large-scale distributed data processing platforms such as Apache Spark.
- Experience developing and shipping AI-powered features, including experience with LLMs.
Software Engineering M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process.
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Specialist - Software Engineering Job Market in District of Columbia
A snapshot from current District of Columbia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Law & Legal Services
- Consulting & Professional Services
What District of Columbia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in specialist - software engineering jobs across District of Columbia.
- Active or clearance-eligible security clearance preferred for most District of Columbia federal contracting roles
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related technical field
- Proficiency in at least one modern language such as Java, Python, C++, or Go
- Experience with cloud platforms including AWS GovCloud, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud
- Familiarity with agile methodologies and DevSecOps practices common in government project environments
- Strong collaboration skills for working within cross-functional engineering and program management teams
Specialist - Software Engineering Jobs in District of Columbia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a specialist - software engineering in District of Columbia?
There is no state-issued license required to work as a specialist - software engineering in the District of Columbia. Most employers require a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, and many federal contractors additionally require candidates to be eligible for or already hold a security clearance. Building hands-on experience through internships, project portfolios, or government IT programs strengthens candidacy considerably in this market.
How much do specialist - software engineerings make in District of Columbia?
Specialist - software engineerings in District of Columbia earn a median of about $136,880 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $85,140 for the lowest 10% to over $197,000 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire specialist - software engineerings in District of Columbia?
Employers hiring specialist - software engineerings in District of Columbia right now include CVS Health, Anduril, and SpaceX, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. The District of Columbia market skews heavily toward defense contractors, federal agencies, and consulting firms that build and maintain large-scale government technology systems.
Which District of Columbia cities have the most specialist - software engineering jobs?
The cities with the most specialist - software engineering openings in District of Columbia are Washington and Bolling AFB. The concentration in Washington DC itself reflects the density of federal agencies, defense contractors, and policy-focused technology firms headquartered in the capital, with broader hiring activity tied to the government contracting ecosystem that defines the region's tech employment landscape.
Are there remote specialist - software engineering jobs in District of Columbia?
Yes, and more than many fields. About 81% of specialist - software engineering openings tied to District of Columbia are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though roles requiring security clearance access to classified systems typically remain on-site or in SCIFs. Software development, code review, and architecture work without classified components are the functions most commonly offered in remote or hybrid arrangements.
How can I get hired as a specialist - software engineering in District of Columbia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through federal contractor internship or university partnership programs, several of which are anchored by major DC-area firms like Booz Allen Hamilton, MITRE, and Leidos, all of which run structured new-graduate and associate engineering programs. Entry-level roles such as junior developer, software engineering associate, or QA analyst are common first steps. Earning a CompTIA Security+ certification gives candidates a meaningful edge for government-adjacent roles, and a strong portfolio of personal or academic projects is frequently what separates early-career candidates from one another.
Where can I find and apply to specialist - software engineering jobs in District of Columbia?
You can find and apply to specialist - software engineering jobs in District of Columbia on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the DC metro area. Search the available roles, find the ones that match your skills and experience level, and apply directly to whichever positions fit your background.
See All 205+ Specialist - Software Engineering Jobs in District of Columbia
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