Principal Software Engineer (Onsite)

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer to join our team in Rome, NY, supporting a long-standing and critical contract with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). This role balances the stability of existing systems with the innovation of new capabilities. The ideal candidate will be deeply customer-focused, ensuring that all technical deliverables align with the NGA’s operational mission and strategic goals. You will enter an environment with established stability and a deep institutional knowledge base, while addressing the evolving needs of NGA to keep the work challenging and forward-looking. This position offers significant opportunities for growth, allowing you to transition from a technical expert into a leadership role as you help shape the future of geospatial intelligence capabilities.

Because of the need for consistent, in-person collaboration and/or the requirement to perform all work onsite, this role will be performed full-time on site at a BAE Systems facility 100% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture and implementation of new software features and standalone applications, translating complex customer requirements into scalable, high-performance code.
• Support the evolution of existing systems to ensure they remain compatible with changing hardware, operating systems, and external dependencies, ensuring zero degradation of mission-critical services.
• Foster a collaborative relationship with the customer to identify pain points and propose proactive technical solutions.
• Provide mentorship to junior and mid-level engineers, conduct rigorous code reviews, and establish engineering best practices across the development lifecycle.
• Contribute to the long-term technical roadmap of the contract, identifying opportunities for modernization and efficiency gains.

Requirements

• Must hold an active Top Secret security clearance.
• BS degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field with at least 6 years of work experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the CompTIA Security+ certification.
• Experience in the field of cybersecurity.
• Experience with Steganography and Steganographic tool sets.
• Experience with integrating Steganographic tools in development environments.
• Experience with Agile software development methodologies.
• Experience in Object-Oriented Design, development practices, and implementation using Java / Jakarta EE.
• Experience building and maintaining RESTful Web Services and SQL databases (Postgres).
• Experience with Cloud Technologies, Python, Containerization (Docker), DevOps workflows, and Linux development environments.
• Experience with version control and collaboration tools, automated testing frameworks, and CI/CD practices.
• Strong oral and written communications skills.
• Ability to take initiative, multi-task, and work well under pressure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hold an active TS/SCI clearance.
• Master’s degree in computer science or computer engineering.
• Working experience with NGA GEOINT Data Types and Products.
• Active CompTIA Security+ Certification.
• Experience with build systems, such as Maven and Gradle.
• Experience with Log4J, Apache, Junit, HP Fortify.
• Hands-on experience with Front-end development, Spring boot framework, and scripting.
• Technical writing skills: capable of creating and modifying engineering documentation.

Pay

Full-Time Salary Range: $107,359 - $182,510. Individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Benefits

Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Health savings accounts.
• A 401(k) savings plan.
• Disability coverage and life and accident insurance.
• Employee assistance program and a legal plan.
• Perks including discounts on home, auto, and pet insurance.
• Paid time off, paid holidays, and other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave.
• Company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards.
• Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.