Lead Software Engineer - Technical Lead (TS/SCI)

Location:

Patrick Space Force Base, Florida Work Arrangement:

100% onsite

Schedule:

9/80 schedule with every other Friday off

Employment Type:

Full-time, permanent

Industry:

Aerospace, Defense and National Security Travel:

Occasional travel or field assignments

Relocation Assistance:

Available Visa Sponsorship:

Not available

Security Clearance:

Active TS/SCI required Position Overview We are seeking an accomplished Lead Software Engineer to provide hands-on technical leadership for a new mission area within a classified Department of Defense environment. This position will lead technical delivery across software, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems engineering, and mission stakeholders. The successful candidate will bring extensive AWS application experience, strong API and software-integration expertise, and the ability to translate operational requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable mission solutions. This is a hands-on technical leadership role and does not require formal people-management experience. Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership and Mission Delivery Provide technical leadership across software-development and infrastructure teams supporting a new mission area. Collaborate with systems engineers, cloud engineers, cybersecurity teams, and mission stakeholders to define requirements and deliver end-to-end solutions. Serve as a subject-matter expert for the customer API user group, investigating issues and guiding users toward effective resolutions. Support multiple mission areas and adapt quickly to changing operational priorities. Help transition research and prototype capabilities into reliable, operational software within classified environments. Provide technical direction without losing hands-on involvement in engineering, integration, and troubleshooting. Software Engineering and Integration Design, develop, integrate, and maintain secure mission applications and supporting services. Integrate cloud-native services, databases, APIs, and application components across distributed environments. Develop and support RESTful APIs, microservices, and enterprise application-integration patterns. Apply software-engineering best practices throughout the development lifecycle, including code reviews, automated testing, version control, and CI/CD. Review and support Python, Bash, JSON-based configurations, and related application components. Use AI-assisted development tools where appropriate to improve delivery quality and engineering productivity. AWS and DevSecOps Deploy and maintain applications in AWS environments. Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, maintainable, and cost-effective. Support containerized application deployments using Docker and Kubernetes. Implement and improve Git-based development workflows, automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and DevSecOps practices. Work with relational and non-relational databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and DynamoDB. Customer and Stakeholder Engagement Interact with customers daily to understand operational needs, gather feedback, and refine application functionality. Apply structured change-management practices when evaluating customer requests against contractual scope and delivery priorities. Translate technical, contractual, and mission requirements into actionable engineering plans. Deliver professional presentations and technical briefings to customer representatives, program leaders, and engineering stakeholders. Explain complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences. Architecture and Documentation Develop architectural designs, implementation plans, and technical roadmaps aligned with mission and organizational objectives. Produce and maintain documentation covering system design, application architecture, deployment procedures, interfaces, and sustainment activities. Create Agile stories and technical tasks that enable engineering teams to deliver effective solutions. Maintain clear documentation of technical decisions, system dependencies, and operational processes. Required Qualifications Active TS/SCI security clearance. One of the following education and experience combinations: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field with at least nine years of relevant experience. Graduate degree in a related field with at least seven years of relevant experience. At least 13 years of relevant professional experience in lieu of a degree. Strong experience developing and deploying applications within AWS. Experience providing technical leadership across software, cloud, infrastructure, or integration teams. Experience with APIs, distributed applications, and software-integration patterns. Proficiency with at least one back-end language or framework, such as Python, Java, Node.js, or .NET. Experience with Git, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and secure software-development practices. Strong customer-facing communication, presentation, and technical-documentation skills. Willingness to work onsite at Patrick Space Force Base and support occasional field assignments. CompTIA Security+, another DoD IAT Level II certification, or the ability to obtain the required certification within six months of starting. Preferred Qualifications Experience developing AI/ML-enabled mission applications, analytical tools, or decision-support capabilities. Experience with advanced data processing, automation, visualization, and user-interaction solutions. Proficiency with React, Angular, Vue, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, or CSS. Experience developing services and APIs using Java, Python, Node.js, .NET, or similar technologies. Experience with Docker and Kubernetes. Experience with RESTful APIs, microservices, and cloud-native integration. Familiarity with PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, DynamoDB, or comparable data platforms. Experience with Agile delivery, backlog development, user stories, and team tasking. Experience using AI-assisted software-development tools. Experience transitioning research or prototype capabilities into operational software. Experience supporting classified DoD programs or other high-security environments. Experience working with scientific, sensor-derived, geophysical, acoustic, seismic, infrasonic, or other mission-relevant data. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is an experienced, TS/SCI-cleared software engineer who combines strong AWS and application-integration expertise with confident customer engagement and technical leadership. They will be comfortable leading a new mission area, resolving complex API and software issues, navigating customer requests and contractual boundaries, and guiding multidisciplinary teams while remaining directly involved in hands-on technical delivery. Benefits A comprehensive benefits package is offered, which may include: Medical, dental, and vision insurance Life and disability coverage Retirement savings benefits Paid time off and company holidays Education assistance Relocation support for qualified candidates A 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off Equal Opportunity Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Pay:

$117,000.00 - $185,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Employee discount Flexible schedule Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Parental leave Professional development assistance Referral program Relocation assistance Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance

Education:

Bachelor's (Required)

Location:

Patrick Space Force Base, FL (Preferred) Security clearance: Top Secret (Required) Ability to

Commute:

Patrick Space Force Base, FL (Preferred) Ability to

Relocate:

Patrick Space Force Base, FL:

Relocate with an employer provided relocation package (Preferred)

Work Location:

In person