Description

We are looking for a highly skilled SW Engineer Sr. Principal 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. Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders and executives.

Qualifications

U.S. Citizenship and an active Secret Clearance with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI.

• Bachelor’s degree and 14+ years, or a Master’s and 12+ years of experience in software engineering and systems design, with a proven track record in designing and delivering complex software systems at scale.

• 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.

• Proven experience in designing and implementing Apache Kafka -based solutions, including real-time data streaming, event-driven architectures, and message queuing systems.

Skills & Competencies:

• 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.

• Kafka Integration: Expertise in integrating Apache Kafka into large-scale systems, including the configuration of Kafka brokers, producers, consumers, and stream processing.

• 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.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Cloud Computing: In-depth experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, particularly in designing cloud-native applications and services.

• DevOps & Automation: Experience with DevOps practices, infrastructure as code (e.g., Terraform, Ansible), and CI/CD pipelines.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Agile frameworks (e.g., Scrum, Kanban) and the ability to drive high-quality, iterative development.

• Networking & Embedded Systems: Knowledge of network protocols, real-time systems, and experience with embedded systems is a plus.

• Project Management: Ability to balance technical leadership with project management, ensuring projects are delivered on time and meet business objectives.

Certifications (Preferred):

• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA).

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect.

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or similar Agile certifications.

• VMware Certified Professional (VCP).

SAIC accepts applications on an ongoing basis and there is no deadline.

Covid Policy: SAIC does not require COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters. Customer site vaccination requirements must be followed when work is performed at a customer site. REQNUMBER: 2415087

SAIC is a premier technology integrator, solving our nation's most complex modernization and systems engineering challenges across the defense, space, federal civilian, and intelligence markets. Our robust portfolio of offerings includes high-end solutions in systems engineering and integration; enterprise IT, including cloud services; cyber; software; advanced analytics and simulation; and training. We are a team of 23,000 strong driven by mission, united purpose, and inspired by opportunity. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $6.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see Working at SAIC. EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability