MANTECH seeks a career and customer-oriented Senior Software Systems Lead in Lexington Park, MD. This is a hybrid position with 3 days onsite and 2 days remote per week. This individual will serve as the primary technical authority for a high-priority Department of Defense Modeling & Simulation (M&S) initiative. In this key personnel role, you will architect and guide innovative, scalable simulation platforms while acting as a Trusted Technology Advisor to government stakeholders. This is an opportunity to shape the future of battlespace simulation through high-impact leadership, digital transformation, and advanced software systems design. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to: Act as the principal technical liaison between engineering teams and government stakeholders, advising on software strategy, procurement (GOTS/COTS), and performance to align mission needs with technical deliverables Direct top-level software architectures for real-time simulation and complex behavior modeling, providing infrastructure recommendations to maximize scalability and reduce lifecycle costs Lead the transition from legacy frameworks to cloud-native, DevSecOps-enabled simulation platforms, ensuring alignment with contemporary digital engineering standards Oversee the integration of distributed simulation protocols (DIS, HLA, TENA) into the GRID-based Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) to facilitate seamless cross-domain interoperability Develop comprehensive simulation capabilities, including models, hardware interfaces, and user interfaces, utilizing C++ and modern development frameworks Mentor multi-disciplinary development teams while enforcing high standards for code quality, configuration management, and streamlined knowledge transfer through better documentation Define comprehensive test plan strategies and lead root-cause analysis for critical, system-level software issues to ensure robust performance and reliability Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical field 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in software engineering, including direct support to M&S initiatives Expertise with both on premise and cloud-based development environments (Azure and AWS) Expert-level proficiency in C++, with demonstrated experience designing and implementing high-performance simulation systems Hands-on experience using a wide variety of commercially available development tools such as the Atlassian Tool Suite (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket), Git, and Microsoft Visual Studio Proven track record of leading digital transformation initiatives using Agile methodologies and CI/CD pipelines Preferred Qualifications Experience with multi-level security environment development and deployment Experience utilizing cloud-based development environments and tools Direct experience supporting tactical aviation systems and distributed battlespace environments In-depth understanding of synthetic environment generation platforms such as NGTS, JSAF, or equivalent frameworks Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex engineering trade-offs to senior technical and non-technical audiences Clearance Requirements Must possess an active Top Secret clearance with current SCI eligibility Physical Requirements Must be able to remain in a stationary position approximately 50% of the time Occasionally required to move throughout office spaces to access equipment, files, or interact with co-workers Must be able to effectively communicate with team members, leadership, and customers, including in presentation settings, and convey accurate technical information