- Requisition ID: 2891
- Standard Title: Principal Software Engineer
- Required Security Clearance: Top Secret/SCI with CI Polygraph
- Location: Washington, DC
- Work Type: On-Site
- Shift: First
- Referral Eligibility: Eligible
- U.S. Citizenship Required? Yes
Position SummarySoftware Engineer Level 5 to develop, maintain, and enhance complex and diverse software systems supporting mission-focused environments. This role is centered on backend development, data engineering, and API development, with emphasis on building scalable systems using Python and FastAPI, designing and managing PostgreSQL databases, and supporting high-performance integrations across high-speed, high-volume, mission-critical, data-sensitive systems.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities- Develop, maintain, and enhance complex and diverse software systems, including processing-intensive analytics, novel algorithm development, manipulation of extremely large data sets, real-time systems, and business management information systems, based upon documented requirements.
- Provide specific input to software component design, including hardware/software trade-offs, software reuse, use of COTS/GOTS in place of new development, and requirements analysis and synthesis from the system level to individual software components.
- Design, implement, and integrate software applications or perform software engineering tasks.
- Utilize software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration, and production environment.
- Ensure efficient delivery of software engineering capabilities using industry standards and repeatable processes.
- Mitigate risks, control costs and schedule variance, and effectively manage large-scale, integrated software projects.
- Review and test software components for adherence to design requirements and document test results.
Required Qualifications- Active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph.
- Demonstrated experience as a backend developer.
- Demonstrated experience in data engineering and API development.
- Experience building scalable systems with Python and FastAPI.
- Experience designing and managing PostgreSQL databases with efficient SQL and indexing strategies.
- Proficiency in Python.
- Proficiency in FastAPI.
- Proficiency in PostgreSQL.
- Proficiency in Elasticsearch.
- Experience building high-performance API connections between high-speed, high-volume, mission-critical, data-sensitive systems.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience supporting processing-intensive analytics environments.
- Experience working with extremely large data sets.
- Experience supporting real-time systems.
- Experience contributing to software design decisions involving software reuse, COTS/GOTS, and system-to-component requirements analysis.
Required Education and Experience EquivalencyEducationYears of ExperienceHigh School Diploma/ GED18Associates Degree16Bachelors' Degree14Masters' Degree12PhD10
Required CertificationsRequired Security Clearance- Active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph.
Pay & Benefit HighlightsCompensation- Competitive fixed salary or hourly pay (based on experience, skills, location, and internal equity).
- Employee referral bonuses up to $10,000 per hired referral.
- Additional bonus opportunities for exceptional performance and contributions to business development and company growth (role-dependent).
Health- 100% company-paid medical premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
- Choose from multiple plan options with CareFirst, Kaiser, and UnitedHealthcare, including PPO, POS, HMO, and HSA-compatible plans.
- 100% company-paid dental premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
- 100% company-paid vision premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
Income Protection- 100% company-paid premiums for short-term disability.
- 100% company-paid premiums for long-term disability.
- 100% company-paid premiums for accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D).
- 100% company-paid premiums for life insurance up to $200,000.
Retirement- 401(k) with immediate vesting: 4% company match plus a 4% non-elective company contribution (8% total).
- 401(k) pre-tax and Roth options.
Leave- Up to 20 days of flexible paid time off (PTO).
- 11 paid floating holidays.
Work-Life Balance- Flexible work schedules, including flex time and compressed work periods (contract and project-dependent).
