SAIC

Principal Lead Software Engineer

SAIC$160K — $200K *
Information Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field with 15+ years of experience, or Master's with 13+ years.
  • 7+ years in back-end or front-end development with technologies like Python, React, and Java.
  • Expert in cloud-native architecture and multi-cloud solutions (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • Proficient with DevSecOps tools including Git, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform.
  • Experience building RESTful/GraphQL APIs and event-driven architectures like Kafka.
  • 3+ years leading software development teams on multiple projects or prototypes.
  • Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, especially with government and defense projects.

Responsibilities

  • Lead software design and development for multiple mission-critical projects, ensuring technical excellence.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to define software requirements and architecture.
  • Guide teams in implementing cloud-native applications using Agile methodologies.
  • Act as a technical escalation point, conducting code reviews and resolving issues.
  • Work with cross-discipline engineers to build secure pipelines using DevSecOps practices.
  • Establish and standardize software development practices across projects.
  • Define and enhance development tools and frameworks to improve productivity.

Benefits

  • Access to a collaborative and innovative work environment.
  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies with immediate real-world impacts.
  • Professional development opportunities and potential for advanced certifications.
  • Support for secure development practices and methodologies.
  • Engagement in a dynamic and mission-critical work environment.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Description

SAIC is seeking an experienced Principal Lead Software Engineer onsite in Colorado Springs, CO to serve as the Software Lead for multiple mission-critical software development projects. Reporting directly to the Lead Systems Engineer, you will be responsible for providing guidance, technical direction, and leadership across several software development efforts in a rapid prototyping environment. This role will balance hands-on technical contributions, team leadership, and input on software development best practices at the project level.

This position focuses on leading and delivering software efforts for multiple projects, while also collaborating with the broader technical organization to define and refine software development standards, practices, and tools for consistent implementation across the program.

Responsibilities

Project-Specific Leadership and Delivery:
  • Lead software design, development, and testing for 2-4 mission-critical projects, ensuring technical excellence and on-time delivery.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to define software requirements, architecture, and deliverables.
  • Guide development teams in implementing cloud-native applications, web front ends, and scalable back ends using Agile methodologies.
  • Act as a technical escalation point, conducting code reviews, resolving issues, and maintaining adherence to project goals.
  • Work with engineers across disciplines (DevSecOps, software, data) to build secure pipelines and deliver solutions utilizing Kubernetes, Kafka, and microservices
Standards and Alignment:
  • Work with leadership and senior technical staff to establish and standardize software development practices across projects.
  • Define and improve development tools, frameworks, and workflows to enhance productivity, quality, and security.
  • Promote and implement secure development practices, including secure coding, vulnerability scanning (e.g., Trivy), and continuous testing.
  • Provide critical feedback on code, processes, and designs during reviews and evaluations.
Hands-On Contributions as Needed:
  • Contribute to development by writing key code, resolving complex technical challenges, and creating architectural proofs of concept.
  • Support rapid prototyping and provide engineering assistance during high-pressure development cycles.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field and 15+ years of software development experience, or Master's with 13+ years of experience.
  • 7+ years of experience in back-end (Python, Java, C#, Go) and/or front-end (React, Angular, Vue.js, HTML5/CSS3) development.
  • Expertise in cloud-native architecture and multi-cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, DAF Cloudworks, GCP).
  • Proficient with DevSecOps tools: Git, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Helm.
  • Skilled in building RESTful/GraphQL APIs, microservices, and event-driven architectures (Kafka, RabbitMQ).
  • Experience automating CI/CD pipelines with testing, security scanning, and deployment workflows.
  • Knowledgeable in testing tools (JMeter, Selenium, Jest) for unit and end-to-end testing.
  • Leadership and Collaboration Skills:
  • Minimum 3+ years of experience leading software development teams on 2-4 projects or prototypes simultaneously.
  • 3+ years working with government, defense, and intelligence project development requirements and processes.
  • Experience partnering with Program Leadership, other technical leads, and SMEs to establish consistent standards and ensure quality across assigned project teams.
  • Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, including experience with internal and external stakeholders.
Desired Qualifications:
  • Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
  • Cloud certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.

Overview

SAIC accepts applications on an ongoing basis and there is no deadline.

About SAIC

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is a technology integrator in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC has approximately 26,000 employees and operates in more than 70 countries. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. SAIC provides services to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, and civilian agencies. The company also serves commercial customers in the healthcare, energy, and financial services sectors.
Learn more about SAIC
Size
26,000 employees
Market Cap
$6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$206 million
Founded
1969
5 Year Trend
+10.7%
Revenue
$6.8 billion
NASDAQ

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