Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Staff Software Engineer jobs in Virginia are in strong demand, concentrated in defense technology, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and federal IT contracting, with openings at every level from senior software engineer through principal and distinguished engineer. The highest concentrations of hiring are in Northern Virginia, Richmond, and the Hampton Roads corridor, where employers like Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and Amazon Web Services maintain substantial engineering workforces. The most sought-after specialties in Virginia right now are distributed systems, cloud-native architecture, and secure software development for government and commercial clients. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 15+ Staff Software Engineer jobs
About Electra
Air travel is about to become something more: more direct, more accessible, and more connected to the places where people live, work and want to be. Every day in the U.S., people make 35 million trips of 50–500 miles, stuck in traffic or routed through crowded hubs. Chances are, you've been one of them. At Electra, we're changing that with the EL9, a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in just 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology opens up thousands of new places to fly, beyond conventional runways, congested airports and long drives. We're backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Safran. Operators worldwide have signed intent-to-purchase agreements for the first 2,200 aircraft we produce, and we're moving toward first test flights in 2027.
Getting a new kind of aircraft airborne takes more than ambition. It takes our kind of bold: people who think big while working in the real world. Who move ideas into action and collaborate without silos. Who put people first and make room at the table for everyone. Who challenge one another without diminishing one another.
Sound like you? Then look beyond what you thought were your own limits, and help us take flight beyond runways.
About the role
We're hiring a Staff/Senior Software Engineer to support the design and development of embedded software for safety-critical aircraft systems. You will work closely on the technical direction of embedded software across one or more subsystems and support the writing of the production code.
This is a hands-on individual contributor role. You will work closely with systems, hardware, test and certification engineers to take software from requirements through integration and flight test. Experience delivering software under DO-178C is a strong plus.
What you'll do
- Design, implement and debug embedded software in C/C++ for real-time, resource-constrained flight and avionics hardware.
- Knowledge of software architecture for subsystems, including partitioning, interfaces, timing budgets and fault handling.
- Work with systems engineers to derive and refine high-level and low-level software requirements, with traceability to code and tests.
- Support board packages, device drivers and middleware for communication buses such as CAN, ARINC 429, SPI, I2C, UART and Ethernet.
- Integrate software with RTOS or bare-metal environments and validate on target hardware, HIL rigs and in the lab.
- Support design and code reviews; set and enforce coding standards (e.g., MISRA C/C++) and static analysis practices.
- Drive verification strategy: unit, integration and hardware/software integration testing, including structural coverage analysis.
- Partner with certification and quality teams to produce plans, standards and lifecycle data that support airworthiness approval.
- Support lab, ground and flight test campaigns, including root-cause analysis of field issues.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or a related field (Master's a plus).
- 5-8+ years of professional embedded software development, with production code shipped on real hardware.
- Expert-level C; strong working knowledge of C++ in embedded contexts.
- Experience with RTOS (e.g., VxWorks, INTEGRITY, PikeOS, FreeRTOS, SafeRTOS) and/or bare-metal development on microcontrollers or SoCs (e.g., ARM Cortex-M/R/A, PowerPC).
- Hands-on debugging with JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers and bus analyzers.
- Solid grasp of real-time concepts: scheduling, interrupts, concurrency, memory management and deterministic behavior.
- Experience writing software to formal requirements and verifying it with structured testing.
- Clear written communication for design documents and technical reviews.
Bonus Points
- Experience developing and certifying airborne software under DO-178C (or DO-178B), ideally at DAL A, B or C.
- Familiarity with DO-178C lifecycle data: PSAC, SDP, SVP, SCMP, SQAP, SAS and requirements/design standards.
- Experience with structural coverage analysis (statement, decision, MC/DC) and tools such as LDRA, VectorCAST or Rapita.
- Knowledge of related standards: DO-330 (tool qualification), DO-331 (model-based development), DO-254, ARP4754A/B and ARP4761.
- Experience working with FAA, EASA or DER/ODA representatives through SOI audits.
- Requirements and traceability tools such as DOORS, Jama or Polarion.
- Model-based development with MATLAB/Simulink and qualified code generation.
- Background in flight controls, electric propulsion, battery management or other aerospace systems.
- Experience with CI/CD, Git-based workflows and automated test on embedded targets.
Leveling Expectations
Level (Staff or Senior) will be determined based on the candidate's experience, education, demonstrated skills, and degree of independence and autonomy.
Both levels require a strong foundation in engineering principles and the ability to solve complex technical problems. Differentiation between levels is based on degree of ownership, autonomy, and influence.
Staff Engineer (5+ years)
- Experienced with frequent application of technical standards, principles, and theories
- Works under general supervision to solve technical problems of moderate scope and complexity
- Executes defined scope of work with growing independence
- Contributes to system integration, supplier coordination, and technical problem-solving
Senior Engineer (8+ years)
- Demonstrates a complete understanding and wide application of engineering principles, theories, and concepts
- Works under limited direction to solve a wide range of complex technical problems
- Independently determines and develops approaches to solutions
- Owns technical scope such as supplier oversight, integration activities, and compliance efforts
- Drives issue resolution and collaborates effectively with minimal guidance
What We Offer
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
- Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
- Paid winter break
- 401(k) with immediate vesting
- Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
- Free on-site parking
Electra is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position may be subject to ITAR requirements.
About Electra
Air travel is about to become something more: more direct, more accessible, and more connected to the places where people live, work and want to be. Every day in the U.S., people make 35 million trips of 50–500 miles, stuck in traffic or routed through crowded hubs. Chances are, you've been one of them. At Electra, we're changing that with the EL9, a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in just 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology opens up thousands of new places to fly, beyond conventional runways, congested airports and long drives. We're backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Safran. Operators worldwide have signed intent-to-purchase agreements for the first 2,200 aircraft we produce, and we're moving toward first test flights in 2027.
Getting a new kind of aircraft airborne takes more than ambition. It takes our kind of bold: people who think big while working in the real world. Who move ideas into action and collaborate without silos. Who put people first and make room at the table for everyone. Who challenge one another without diminishing one another.
Sound like you? Then look beyond what you thought were your own limits, and help us take flight beyond runways.
About the role
We're hiring a Staff/Senior Software Engineer to support the design and development of embedded software for safety-critical aircraft systems. You will work closely on the technical direction of embedded software across one or more subsystems and support the writing of the production code.
This is a hands-on individual contributor role. You will work closely with systems, hardware, test and certification engineers to take software from requirements through integration and flight test. Experience delivering software under DO-178C is a strong plus.
What you'll do
- Design, implement and debug embedded software in C/C++ for real-time, resource-constrained flight and avionics hardware.
- Knowledge of software architecture for subsystems, including partitioning, interfaces, timing budgets and fault handling.
- Work with systems engineers to derive and refine high-level and low-level software requirements, with traceability to code and tests.
- Support board packages, device drivers and middleware for communication buses such as CAN, ARINC 429, SPI, I2C, UART and Ethernet.
- Integrate software with RTOS or bare-metal environments and validate on target hardware, HIL rigs and in the lab.
- Support design and code reviews; set and enforce coding standards (e.g., MISRA C/C++) and static analysis practices.
- Drive verification strategy: unit, integration and hardware/software integration testing, including structural coverage analysis.
- Partner with certification and quality teams to produce plans, standards and lifecycle data that support airworthiness approval.
- Support lab, ground and flight test campaigns, including root-cause analysis of field issues.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or a related field (Master's a plus).
- 5-8+ years of professional embedded software development, with production code shipped on real hardware.
- Expert-level C; strong working knowledge of C++ in embedded contexts.
- Experience with RTOS (e.g., VxWorks, INTEGRITY, PikeOS, FreeRTOS, SafeRTOS) and/or bare-metal development on microcontrollers or SoCs (e.g., ARM Cortex-M/R/A, PowerPC).
- Hands-on debugging with JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers and bus analyzers.
- Solid grasp of real-time concepts: scheduling, interrupts, concurrency, memory management and deterministic behavior.
- Experience writing software to formal requirements and verifying it with structured testing.
- Clear written communication for design documents and technical reviews.
Bonus Points
- Experience developing and certifying airborne software under DO-178C (or DO-178B), ideally at DAL A, B or C.
- Familiarity with DO-178C lifecycle data: PSAC, SDP, SVP, SCMP, SQAP, SAS and requirements/design standards.
- Experience with structural coverage analysis (statement, decision, MC/DC) and tools such as LDRA, VectorCAST or Rapita.
- Knowledge of related standards: DO-330 (tool qualification), DO-331 (model-based development), DO-254, ARP4754A/B and ARP4761.
- Experience working with FAA, EASA or DER/ODA representatives through SOI audits.
- Requirements and traceability tools such as DOORS, Jama or Polarion.
- Model-based development with MATLAB/Simulink and qualified code generation.
- Background in flight controls, electric propulsion, battery management or other aerospace systems.
- Experience with CI/CD, Git-based workflows and automated test on embedded targets.
Leveling Expectations
Level (Staff or Senior) will be determined based on the candidate's experience, education, demonstrated skills, and degree of independence and autonomy.
Both levels require a strong foundation in engineering principles and the ability to solve complex technical problems. Differentiation between levels is based on degree of ownership, autonomy, and influence.
Staff Engineer (5+ years)
- Experienced with frequent application of technical standards, principles, and theories
- Works under general supervision to solve technical problems of moderate scope and complexity
- Executes defined scope of work with growing independence
- Contributes to system integration, supplier coordination, and technical problem-solving
Senior Engineer (8+ years)
- Demonstrates a complete understanding and wide application of engineering principles, theories, and concepts
- Works under limited direction to solve a wide range of complex technical problems
- Independently determines and develops approaches to solutions
- Owns technical scope such as supplier oversight, integration activities, and compliance efforts
- Drives issue resolution and collaborates effectively with minimal guidance
What We Offer
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
- Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
- Paid winter break
- 401(k) with immediate vesting
- Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
- Free on-site parking
Electra is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position may be subject to ITAR requirements.
See All 15 Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Staff Software Engineer JobsStaff Software Engineer Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Staff Software Engineer Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in staff software engineer jobs across Virginia.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field
- Seven or more years of professional software engineering experience with increasing scope and complexity
- Deep proficiency in at least one primary language such as Java, Python, Go, or C++
- Demonstrated experience leading technical design and mentoring junior and mid-level engineers
- Experience with cloud platforms, distributed systems, or large-scale production infrastructure
- Active or obtainable U.S. government security clearance preferred by many Virginia defense contractors
Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a staff software engineer in Virginia?
Becoming a staff software engineer in Virginia typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field combined with substantial hands-on engineering experience. Virginia does not require a state-issued license to work as a software engineer. Progression to the staff level is earned through demonstrated technical leadership, architecture ownership, and cross-team influence. Many Virginia employers, particularly in defense and federal IT, also value or require an active security clearance.
How much do staff software engineers make in Virginia?
Staff software engineers in Virginia earn a median of about $136,460 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $83,350 for the lowest 10% to over $211,930 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire staff software engineers in Virginia?
Employers hiring staff software engineers in Virginia right now include IDME, CVS Health, and Muon Space, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Virginia's dense concentration of defense contractors and federal technology integrators in Northern Virginia means many of these employers prioritize engineers with security clearances or experience building systems for government clients.
Which Virginia cities have the most staff software engineer jobs?
The cities with the most staff software engineer openings in Virginia are McLean, Woodbridge, and Virginia. Northern Virginia dominates the distribution because it hosts the largest cluster of defense contractors, cloud infrastructure operators, and federal agency technology teams in the country, while Richmond and Hampton Roads draw from a growing base of commercial tech employers and Navy-adjacent systems integrators.
Are there remote staff software engineer jobs in Virginia?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 56% of staff software engineer openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how well the role translates to distributed work environments. The portions most likely to stay fully remote are platform engineering, backend infrastructure, and individual contributor technical leadership roles, while positions tied to classified government programs or on-premise systems typically require an on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a staff software engineer in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is targeting associate or junior software engineer roles at large Virginia employers and building toward the staff level from within. Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and SAIC all run structured new-graduate and early-career programs in Virginia that provide mentorship and a clear progression track. Adjacent roles in QA engineering, DevOps, or IT systems administration are common lateral entry points. A strong portfolio of personal or open-source projects and an active pursuit of a security clearance significantly increase competitiveness with Virginia employers.
Where can I find and apply to staff software engineer jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to staff software engineer jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current Virginia openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 15 Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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