Principal Software Engineer

Red 6 • Louisville, CO

21d

About The Position

As a Principal Software Engineer at Red 6, you will take a critical role in designing and delivering next-generation AR pilot training and operations systems. This position is highly hands-on, driving complex software development while also providing functional leadership to a small, high-performing engineering team. You will identify and implement novel solutions to cutting-edge augmented reality challenges, working across rendering systems, game engine infrastructure, simulation frameworks, and hardware–software integration. Your work will integrate state-of-the-art simulation technology with live aircraft and deliver high-impact capabilities to our military customers. This role is ideal for a technical expert who thrives in solving deep engineering challenges while shaping the performance and growth of a focused engineering team.

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional C++ development experience, including systems programming and performance optimization.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• Experience in software engineering management or technical leadership roles.
• Certified SCRUM Master or strong understanding of the SCRUM process.
• Experience with Unreal Engine or similar high-performance game engines.
• Strong Linux development experience.
• Expertise in multithreaded programming, memory management, and system-level performance tuning.
• Qualified candidate must have the ability to obtain a security clearance. This requires U.S. Citizenship

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with build processes, compiler toolchains, and content pipelines.
• Strong 3D math, numerical computing, modeling, and simulation experience.
• Background in real-time interactive applications such as multiplayer games, live simulation systems, or AR/VR platforms.
• Experience with sensors (camera, time-of-flight) or image processing.
• Familiarity with Jira, Perforce, Confluence, or similar tools.
• Military, defense, or law enforcement background or experience with mission-critical customer use cases.
• Experience shipping user-facing features in games or 3D interactive products, preferably in Unreal Engine.
• Ability to integrate data-driven visuals and control in-game objects with external data.
• Knowledge of low-level systems such as memory allocators, file systems, input systems, and graphics APIs.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize high-performance software for AR/VR systems using C++ and Unreal Engine.
• Architect and implement core features for synthetic reality applications, including rendering systems, simulation frameworks, and data pipelines.
• Collaborate with hardware, simulation, and design teams to deliver integrated AR solutions for military training environments.
• Provide functional leadership for a team of four engineers, setting technical direction, reviewing code, and promoting engineering best practices.
• Conduct regular mentorship and coaching to elevate both technical skills and professional growth within the team.
• Evaluate and integrate new technologies to enhance system performance, visual fidelity, and real-time responsiveness.
• Own end-to-end delivery of complex software components from prototype through deployment on live aircraft and training systems.
• Ensure software is scalable, secure, and aligned with Red 6’s mission-critical quality standards.
• Drive problem-solving across the full software stack, including multithreading, memory management, and real-time data processing.
• Interface with stakeholders and military partners to translate operational needs into technical capabilities.
• Contribute to testing strategies, tooling, and CI/CD infrastructure to enable rapid and reliable delivery.

Benefits

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision (100% coverage for Employees)
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick, paid holidays, and parental leave
• Short and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Voluntary Worksite Benefits (Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees