Principal Software Engineer - Developer, Phantom Works
About The Position
The Boeing Company is seeking a Principal Software Engineer / Developer (Level 5) for its Phantom Works Software Engineering team in Berkeley, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The role supports Boeing Defense, Space & Security and is part of the Phantom Works Open Architecture Systems Integrated Software (OASIS) Solutions team. The engineer will define, develop, and lead software development for real-time air and/or space systems in an Agile environment, working closely across teams to integrate software and hardware components for mission-critical defense infrastructure. The position is expected to be 100% onsite. An active U.S. Top Secret security clearance is required; the U.S. Government requires U.S. citizenship for the clearance. The Principal Software Engineer will own software architecture, guide system and software requirements, lead agile software delivery, and manage integration, verification, and validation activities. The role includes leadership of DevSecOps and CI/CD practices, oversight of supplier software deliverables, and mentoring engineers. The engineer will establish delivery metrics, manage risks and issues that affect integration readiness, and document integration and test outcomes. The position requires a bachelor's degree, an active Top Secret clearance, at least three years of technical leadership in ground and software systems engineering, at least three years leading a software development or product deployment team, and at least five years of DevOps/DevSecOps and configuration management experience. Preferred qualifications include substantial relevant experience, an advanced degree, agile certification, and experience with aerospace or defense systems, cloud platforms, model-based design, embedded software, and simulation. Occasional travel to California (approximately 10%) may be required. Relocation is available based on candidate eligibility. The position is not contingent upon program award. Boeing does not sponsor employment visas. Candidates must complete a technical assessment as part of the selection process and satisfy the Company's conflict-of-interest assessment process.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
- Active U.S. Top Secret security clearance; a clearance active within the past 24 months is considered active. U.S. citizenship is required for the clearance.
- At least 3 years of technical leadership experience in ground and software systems engineering, including requirements, design, and operation.
- At least 3 years of experience as the technical leader of a software development or product deployment team.
- At least 5 years of experience with DevOps and/or DevSecOps.
- At least 5 years of experience with configuration management tools and best practices for systems, software, and hardware design.
- Must meet U.S. export control compliance requirements as a U.S. Person.
- Must complete a technical assessment as part of the selection process.
- Must satisfy the Company's conflict-of-interest assessment process.
Nice To Haves
- Level 5 qualification with a Bachelor of Science in a relevant discipline and 14 or more years of related experience; a bachelor's degree and 18 or more years of directly related experience; or 22 or more years of related, relevant experience.
- Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in a relevant field.
- Practical experience with requirements tracing and configuration management.
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), SAFe Agilist, or equivalent Agile certification.
- Prior leadership on aerospace, defense, avionics, or other safety-critical systems.
- Experience with cloud-native infrastructure, including Docker/Kubernetes, AWS GovCloud, or Azure Government.
- Experience with model-based design/verification and SIL/HIL testing environments.
- Experience managing subcontractor software deliveries.
- Significant experience with real-time embedded software (C/C++), low-level driver development, network stacks, and hardware/software testing and debugging for microcontrollers and/or FPGAs.
- Experience and ability to implement real-time embedded hardware, firmware, and software.
- Strong analytical skills and proficiency with physical modeling and simulation tools.
- High-level software development experience for applied physics, modeling, and/or simulation using MATLAB, Python, Jupyter, or similar tools.
- Experience in real-time embedded systems and low-level driver development with microcontrollers, single-board computers, and/or FPGAs.
- Experience performing control-system logic/algorithm, hardware, and software development tasks.
Responsibilities
- Own and maintain software architecture, emphasizing clear and stable interfaces and versioning to reduce integration risk and support maintainable production software.
- Partner with stakeholders on system definition and oversee translation of system-level requirements into software requirements and models that meet customer, operational, and performance needs and are traceable to design, code, and test artifacts.
- Manage supplier and subcontractor software deliverables to ensure compliance with team processes and integration requirements.
- Lead the software team's Agile delivery, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews and retrospectives, and removal of impediments.
- Serve as the software Agile/Delivery lead; manage backlog prioritization with product and system owners, define sprint goals, and ensure timely delivery of integration-ready increments.
- Define, document, and enforce software integration contracts, data models, and message definitions with Integration & Test and Systems leads.
- Ensure software is designed for testability, including unit, component, integration, SIL/HIL test artifacts, observability hooks, and diagnosable failures.
- Lead DevSecOps and CI/CD practices, ensuring repeatable builds, automated testing, artifact traceability, and consistent deployments across development, integration, and test environments.
- Coordinate with Integration & Test to align delivery cadence with integration increments and controlled configuration baselines.
- Drive software component verification and validation, support test strategy development, analyze results, and triage defects with the team.
- Establish and track delivery metrics such as velocity, cycle time, quality, and technical debt, and use them to improve predictability and quality.
- Coach and mentor engineers in Agile practices, test automation, CI/CD, code quality, and observability.
- Contribute to risk and issue management affecting software delivery and integration readiness, escalating when necessary to protect milestones.
- Document integration results and test findings, and provide input for design reviews and readiness assessments.
Benefits
- Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and programs providing paid and unpaid time away from work.
- Competitive base pay and variable compensation opportunities.
- Potential signing bonus for eligible and qualified external candidates.
- Relocation based on candidate eligibility.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
