This role is contingent upon contract funding.

We are seeking an experienced Technical Debt Engineer/Software Sustainment Engineer to improve, modernize, and sustain complex software systems supporting defense and mission-critical environments. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience debugging production software, performing root cause analysis, refactoring legacy code, and reducing technical debt while preserving functional behavior and delivery schedules. This role will collaborate closely with software developers, systems engineers, architects, and government stakeholders to improve software quality, maintainability, performance, and interoperability through modern engineering and DevOps practices.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Debug, analyze, and resolve complex software defects across large-scale, distributed software systems.
• Perform root cause analysis to identify software defects, performance bottlenecks, integration issues, and reliability concerns.
• Refactor legacy software to improve maintainability, modularity, extensibility, testability, and long-term sustainability while preserving existing functionality.
• Identify, prioritize, and remediate technical debt in collaboration with engineering teams and program leadership.
• Improve software quality through static analysis, automated testing, code reviews, performance optimization, and modern software engineering practices.
• Develop, maintain, and optimize CI/CD pipelines and automated build, test, and deployment processes.
• Utilize DevOps tools such as SonarQube, GitLab CI/CD, automated testing frameworks, and containerized development environments to support continuous software improvement.
• Maintain and troubleshoot multi-language build environments using tools such as CMake, Conan, Maven, Poetry, and NPM.
• Debug and resolve interoperability and integration issues across distributed software systems utilizing standards-based APIs, messaging frameworks, and communication protocols.
• Collaborate with software developers, systems engineers, architects, and government stakeholders to implement sustainable software improvements while minimizing program risk and maintaining delivery schedules.
• Support software integration, verification, validation, configuration management, and release activities.
• Document software changes, technical debt remediation efforts, and engineering recommendations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent practical experience).
• 5+ years of experience debugging, refactoring, and sustaining complex software systems supporting defense, aerospace, or other mission-critical environments.
• Strong proficiency in software debugging, root cause analysis, performance optimization, and code quality improvement using modern software development tools, including AI-assisted development tools where appropriate.
• Experience refactoring legacy codebases to improve maintainability, modularity, extensibility, and testability.
• Strong proficiency with DevOps tools and practices, including SonarQube, GitLab CI/CD, automated testing, and containerized development environments.
• Strong proficiency with multi-language build tools such as CMake, Conan, Maven, Poetry, and NPM.
• Experience developing or sustaining large-scale distributed software systems utilizing messaging technologies such as ActiveMQ, DDS, ZeroMQ, or similar frameworks.
• Experience diagnosing and resolving software integration and interoperability issues across distributed systems using standards-based interfaces and APIs.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with software developers, systems engineers, architects, and government stakeholders to reduce technical debt while maintaining program schedules.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Currently holds an active U.S. national security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications (Not Required)

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience identifying, prioritizing, and systematically resolving technical debt while preserving functional behavior and architectural compliance.
• Knowledge of autonomy and robotics integration, mission planning, task allocation, and command-and-control architectures.
• Experience debugging, refactoring, and sustaining software implementations aligned with SysML architecture models, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and software requirements.
• Experience working with rootless Podman container environments.
• Strong proficiency in C++ software development.
• Proficiency in additional programming languages such as Java, Python, and TypeScript.
• Experience using Git, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and containerized software development environments.
• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated software development programs.
• Active-duty military experience.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Clearance Requirements

Some positions will require access to U.S. National Security information. Positions that require this access will be required to receive and maintain a U.S. government personnel security clearance (PCL). In order to qualify for this position, the candidate must be a US Citizen and either currently possess this National Security eligibility or be able to complete the investigation application process with a favorable determination and maintain that eligibility throughout their employment. To learn more about the security clearance process please access this link.

Pay Scales & Benefits

The listed pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this position for the location for which it has been posted and is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Other compensation considerations may include, but are not limited to, job responsibilities, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, or other applicable factors.

Benefits include...
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Company Holidays
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Optional HSA and FSA
• Base and Voluntary Life Insurance
• Short Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401k Matching
• Employee Assistance Program