Software Engineer III

Sierra Nevada Corporation•Herndon, VA

7d•$108,497 - $149,183•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Software Engineer III, you will lead the design, development, and optimization of complex software systems for aerospace applications. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure software meets stringent performance and quality standards. As SNC's corporate team, we provide the company and its business areas with strategic direction and business support spanning executive management, finance and accounting, operations, human resources, legal, IT, information security, facilities, marketing, and communications.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
6+ years of experience in experience in software development.
Advanced proficiency in programming languages such as C++, Java, or Python.
Practical knowledge of engineering principles and practices.
Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams.
Ability to work on a computer for extended periods.
Hand/finger dexterity for coding and testing.
Comfort working in an innovation-focused environment, balancing hands-on coding with rapid experimentation, iteration, and exploratory development.

Nice To Haves

Higher level relevant degree may substitute for experience.
Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded systems.
Background in Aerospace and Defense industry.
Understanding of industry standard software languages such as C, C#, C++, HTML, Java, Python, and Bash.
Experience with software tools for requirements tracking, code reviews, static analysis, library and artifact repository, and automated build.
Knowledge of software development methodologies such as Agile/Scrum, Waterfall, and Spiral.
Experienced with data structures.
Ability to work in a hybrid environment with occasional travel.

Responsibilities

Develop prototype and proof-of-concept software solutions that explore new technologies, validate hypotheses, and demonstrate feasibility for business and technical stakeholders.
Work closely with the Sr. Manager of the DIO to translate exploratory concepts and business problems into actionable software development tasks.
Build and integrate AI/ML-driven capabilities into prototype systems in collaboration with AI engineers and data scientists.
Rapidly iterate on designs, perform lightweight user testing, and refine prototypes to support continuous exploration.
Debug and troubleshoot advanced software issues across prototype and production-like environments.
Create clean, maintainable code and supporting documentation that enables handoff or scaling.
Conduct thorough code reviews and provide mentorship to junior engineers.
Collaborate with cross-functional and cross-domain teams to ensure code quality and technical alignment.
Support the integration of software with hardware systems and experimental platforms.
Define software requirements and specifications in collaboration with stakeholders and innovation partners.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance software performance, modularity, and flexibility—critical in a rapid experimentation environment.