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Principal Software Engineer

Full Time Remote

Summary

Job Description

Description

SAIC is seeking a full-stack Principal Software Engineer to join the Joint Range Extension (JRE) software development team. This is a Remote Role in San Diego, CA. It is REQUIRED to be local to the area. You must be a U.S. Citizen to be considered who can obtain a Secret clearance after you start.

JRE is a combat-proven datalink gateway that plays a vital role in the defense of the United States and our allies by extending the reach of tactical data across the battlespace and around the globe. As a principal software engineer on the team, you’ll play an essential role in evolving JRE for the future mission needs of the warfighter.

JOB DUTIES:

  • Design, develop, and maintain major new features, enhancements, and integrations for the JRE suite of edge- and cloud-deployed client and server applications.
  • Develop and contribute deep domain expertise in the tactical data link, situational awareness, and command and control domains.
  • Refactor existing implementations to align with and meet future product needs.
  • Leverage your experience to contribute to architecture and implementation reviews of other engineers.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS:

Credentials and Education

  • Bachelor’s in computer science or a related field and nine (9) years or more of professional software engineering experience; Masters and seven (7) years or more of related experience; relevant experience to be substituted in lieu of degree.
  • 5+ years in a technical project lead role.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be able to obtain a Secret clearance after start.

Technical Qualifications

  • Deep expertise in the Java platform; including fluency with Java, and familiarity with JVM languages such as Kotlin or Scala.
  • Thorough knowledge of object-oriented and functional design patterns; software design principles; refactoring techniques, code and test automation smells, and domain-driven design.
  • Experience with RPC and message-oriented distributed systems integration and related integration patterns.
  • Experience with network programming, networking protocols, and the low-level processing of binary data.
  • Proven experience developing and maintaining large-scale codebases (1M+ lines).
  • Experience leading successful large-scale, phased refactoring projects.
  • Experience with dependency injection and the Spring family of frameworks, including Spring Boot, Spring Data, and Spring Security.
  • Team-based development experience via pairing or mobbing, and an eagerness to work collaboratively.
  • Test-driven development experience.
  • Experience designing and developing solutions iteratively and incrementally via Agile methodologies such as Scrum, Extreme Programming, or Lean Software Development.
  • Experience with continuous integration and modern deployment practices for edge and cloud systems.
  • Experience developing systems built with Gradle.

Domain Knowledge

  • Significant experience in the tactical data link and C5ISR domains, or in the development of comparable mission-critical, high-reliability, near-real-time systems.
  • Knowledge of MIL-STDs such as 6016, 6017, 3011, 6020, 6040, and 2525; tactical terminals and radios such as MIDS JTRS, STT, AN/ARC, and AN/PRC; GPS and inertial navigation systems protocols such as NMEA 0183 and GPS-153; avionics standards such as ARINC 429 and 661; and industry security standards such as DISA STIGs, and NIST SP 800-171 and 800-207.

DESIRED SKILLS:

  • Experience with native development with C, C++, or Rust.
  • Public contributions to open-source projects.

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

About SAIC

SAIC

SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) is one of the largest technology integrators supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, intelligence community, and federal civilian agencies. The company delivers mission-critical services across engineering, IT modernization, cybersecurity, intelligence, and systems integration, helping government customers operate and secure complex national security infrastructure at scale.

For job seekers, SAIC offers a wide range of career opportunities in software engineering, cybersecurity, cloud computing, systems engineering, data analytics, intelligence analysis, program management, and mission support. The company is especially attractive to veterans, cleared professionals, and technologists seeking stable, long-term roles embedded in high-impact government programs across defense and intelligence missions.

Unlike defense manufacturers that build physical platforms, SAIC focuses on integrating, modernizing, and operating the digital and information systems that support government missions. Employees often work on large-scale federal programs involving network modernization, space and satellite systems support, cyber defense operations, and advanced data-driven decision-making tools used across defense and intelligence agencies.

As federal agencies continue investing heavily in cybersecurity, AI, cloud infrastructure, and digital transformation, SAIC remains one of the most important employers in the government services sector. For professionals seeking mission-driven work with strong stability and exposure to complex national security programs, SAIC continues to stand out as a leading destination in defense and federal technology services.

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