Principal Software Engineer

KBR•Colorado Springs, CO

15d•Onsite

About The Position

KBR's National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country’s most critical role – protecting our national security. KBR is seeking a highly motivated Principal Software Engineer to join us in supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) development team in Colorado Springs, CO. At KBR, you'll be working on prototype projects that support the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s most mission-critical objectives. The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force. KBR fosters a dynamic and collaborative atmosphere where cross-functional teams of product managers, engineers, developers, and defense experts work in unison. We practice Agile and DevOps principles, ensuring rapid iteration, continuous feedback, and integration across all projects. Our team is passionate, forward-thinking, and united by a mission-first mindset that encourages knowledge sharing, innovation, and problem-solving at every level. Your work here won’t just be limited to software development—it will directly support the Air Force in expanding current national capabilities. As the Air Force's leader for National-to-Tactical capability development, AFRL collaborates with leading experts across the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, National Laboratories, industry, inter-agency, academia, and partner nations.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive software engineering experience
Extensive experience designing and developing distributed, high-availability, mission-critical software systems
Advanced expertise with Java, Python, or other object-oriented programming languages
Demonstrated experience leading software architecture and technical strategy efforts
Experience guiding engineering teams through the full software development lifecycle
Experience developing complex data processing, integration, or real-time streaming systems
Demonstrated success leading cross-functional engineering teams and large technical initiatives
Strong communication skills with the ability to engage engineers, leadership, and customers
Active U.S. Government Top Secret / SCI security clearance (U.S. citizenship required)
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical field
10+ years of progressive related experience

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
Deep knowledge of MIL-STD-6016 and MIL-STD-3011
Experience serving as a software architect, chief engineer, or technical lead across multiple projects
Experience modernizing legacy systems and implementing technology roadmaps
Expertise in TDD, CI/CD, DevSecOps, and Agile methodologies
Security+ or higher DoD 8570/8140 certification
Demonstrated ability to influence organizational technical direction and mentor engineering talent across multiple teams

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical leader for software development efforts supporting high-velocity data stream processing systems
Define software architecture, technical strategy, and long-term roadmap for mission-critical applications
Analyze customer requirements and translate mission objectives into scalable system and software solutions
Lead architecture reviews, design reviews, and technology evaluations
Drive development of highly available, resilient, and high-performance software systems
Establish software engineering standards, best practices, and technical governance across teams
Lead complex integration, test, and deployment activities across multiple programs and stakeholders
Evaluate vendor technologies, open-source solutions, and emerging technologies for program adoption
Lead technical investigations, trade studies, and root-cause analyses for mission-critical issues
Mentor engineers across all levels and provide technical leadership for multiple teams
Coordinate planning, staffing, scheduling, and execution of software engineering activities
Serve as a trusted technical advisor to program leadership, customers, and mission partners