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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Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack
Location: Remote (U.S.)
JOB ID # 913
Work on Things That Matter
Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our team creates products that meet people's needs and transform their experience of government.
Our collaborations have shaped some of the defining moments in public sector service delivery. We've helped build products that connect Veterans to tailored services, help millions access affordable health care, and support critical programs like Head Start. As we work with agencies to deliver essential services, we're also changing how the government approaches technology.
Built for Remote Work
Our culture, communication, and tools are intentionally designed for remote work, allowing us to bring together exceptional talent from across the country. Remote work gives our teams the flexibility to create environments where they can do their best work while collaborating closely to deliver outstanding outcomes for our customers.
A Culture Built on Trust
At Ad Hoc, we value acceptance, accountability, and humility. We aren't heroes. We learn from our mistakes, continuously improve, and build small, inclusive teams that work closely with our partners to solve meaningful problems and deliver software that works.
About the Veterans Affairs Business Unit
The Veterans Affairs Business Unit helps transform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs into a modern digital services organization where Veteran outcomes are at the center of every effort. We partner with the VA to design and deliver seamless digital experiences for Veterans, their families, caregivers, and VA employees.
Through service design, product management, and modern engineering practices, we help increase the quality, reliability, and accessibility of critical government services while reducing the time Veterans spend waiting for results.
Primary Responsibilities
As a Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack, you will serve as a senior technical leader and trusted individual contributor with a high degree of autonomy. You'll help lead technical direction across projects, influence engineering decisions, and collaborate closely with stakeholders to deliver high-quality software solutions.
In this role, you will:
- Plan and execute technical roadmaps for new initiatives with minimal oversight.
- Participate in strategic planning sessions with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.
- Occasionally travel to collaborate with and present to clients and project partners.
- Break down complex, ambiguous product challenges into actionable technical solutions.
- Reduce technical debt through documentation, refactoring, and automated testing.
- Clearly communicate system architecture, technical decisions, project history, and implementation tradeoffs for proposals, demonstrations, and customer engagements.
- Participate in technical interviews and help evaluate engineering candidates.
- Present technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences to support business and engineering decisions.
- Champion engineering best practices while influencing improvements across teams.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, or 10+ years of professional software engineering experience in lieu of a degree.
- Relevant professional experience may be substituted for education.
- Expert experience developing applications with Ruby on Rails.
- Strong experience designing and developing RESTful APIs.
- Experience with React, Redux, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
- Experience responding to and triaging production issues.
- Demonstrated expert-level knowledge in at least one technical discipline, including frontend, backend, or infrastructure engineering, with the ability to independently lead technical initiatives and ensure successful delivery.
- Must be able to successfully obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Public Trust security clearance.
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship, now or in the future.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience supporting federal government contracts.
- Familiarity with the VA.gov platform and vets-api architecture.
- Experience using Postman, Datadog, and RSpec.
To learn more about working at Ad Hoc, please visit:
https://adhocteam.us/join
Benefits
- Company-subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Flexible paid time off
- 401(k) with employer match
- Paid parental leave after one year of service
- Employee Assistance Program
Equal Opportunity Employer
Ad Hoc LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, work-related injury, covered veteran status, political ideology, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
We value the unique skills gained through military service and encourage Veterans and transitioning service members to apply.
Compensation
In support of applicable state and local pay transparency laws, Ad Hoc provides the salary range we reasonably expect to pay candidates who meet the qualifications for this position. Final compensation is determined by a variety of factors, including experience, skills, geographic location, and level of responsibility.
Salary Range: $135,000 - $155,000
Our recruiting team is happy to answer any questions regarding compensation and benefits during the hiring process.
See All 17 Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia
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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
- Insurance
- Automotive
- Healthcare & Medical 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 Northrop Grumman, ID.me, and Alarm, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 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, Dulles, and Reston. 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 50% of staff software engineer openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of August 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.
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