Principal Software Systems Engineer Job Listing at SAIC in Arlington, VA (Job ID 2506794)

Description

Description

SAIC is seeking a Principal Software Systems Engineer in Arlington, VA to take a leadership role in the design, development, and integration of complex software systems. This position requires deep expertise in software architecture, systems engineering, and large-scale software integrations. As a Principal Software Systems Engineer, you will be responsible for driving the technical direction, leading design efforts, and overseeing the delivery of high-performance, secure, and scalable systems that meet the strategic needs of the business. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of software, hardware, and network components

Key Responsibilities:

·         System Architecture & Design: Lead the design and development of sophisticated software systems, including distributed architectures, real-time systems, and cloud-based applications. Define and document high-level system architecture, design principles, and technical roadmaps.

·         Leadership & Mentorship: Act as a technical leader within the team, providing guidance, mentoring, and technical direction to engineers. Lead architectural reviews, design discussions, and ensure adherence to best practices across the engineering team.

·         Software Development & Optimization: Oversee the design and implementation of software solutions, ensuring high-quality, maintainable, and scalable code. Lead efforts in performance tuning, debugging, and optimization for large-scale systems.

·         Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with product managers, hardware engineers, network engineers, and other stakeholders to define system requirements and ensure seamless integration between software, hardware, and network components.

·         Systems Integration & Validation: Lead the integration of software systems with complex hardware and network infrastructures. Oversee end-to-end validation and testing to ensure systems meet performance, reliability, and security requirements.

·         Kafka Integration: Design and implement systems utilizing Apache Kafka for real-time data streaming, event-driven architectures, and building fault-tolerant, scalable messaging systems. Lead the integration of Kafka into existing systems, ensuring high throughput, low latency, and fault tolerance.

·         Innovation & Technology Evaluation: Stay current on emerging technologies and industry trends, and lead the adoption of new tools, frameworks, and methodologies that improve the development process and system performance.

·         Strategic Planning: Contribute to the long-term technical strategy and roadmap for software systems. Ensure that systems are built with future scalability and business needs in mind.

·         Quality & Best Practices: Establish and enforce software development standards, best practices, and quality metrics. Advocate for code reviews, continuous integration, and automated testing processes.

Documentation & Communication: Lead the creation of detailed technical documentation, including system designs, APIs, and architectural diagrams.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelors and nine (9) years of relevant experience; Masters degree and seven (7) years of relevant experience; 4 years of additional experience in lieu of a degree.

Required Security Clearance:

• Must possess an Active Secret Clearance with the ability to obtain a Top Secret Clearance (US Citizenship required).

Required Skills:

• At least 3-5 years in a leadership or principal engineer role, driving architecture, design, and integration of software systems.
• Significant experience with distributed systems, cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, etc.), and integrating software with hardware and network components.
• Expertise in system architecture, software design patterns, and large-scale system integration.
• Hands-on experience with performance tuning, scalability, and optimizing software for reliability and efficiency in production environments.
• Software Architecture: Deep knowledge of designing scalable, maintainable, and high-performance software systems.
• Programming Expertise: Proficiency in multiple programming languages (e.g., C++, Python, Java, Go) and strong familiarity with modern development frameworks and tools.
• Systems Integration: Expertise in integrating software with hardware systems, network infrastructure, and cloud-based solutions.
• Cloud & Distributed Systems: Extensive experience in cloud-native architectures, microservices, and distributed system design. Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Security & Compliance: Strong understanding of software security best practices and the ability to implement secure software solutions across integrated systems.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Proven experience leading teams of engineers, providing technical mentorship, and fostering collaboration across departments.
• Problem-Solving: Excellent analytical and troubleshooting skills with the ability to resolve complex technical challenges.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical topics to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.