Principal Software Engineer, Legacy Modernization (U.S. Air Force)

Skylight

2h•$150,000 - $230,000•Remote

About The Position

Skylight is hiring a Senior, Staff, or Principal Software Engineer specializing in legacy modernization for a U.S. Air Force program office managing civil engineering systems. The role focuses on refactoring and migrating aging Air Force web applications to a DoD software factory while keeping them operational for users with little to no downtime. The program aims to move from slow releases and manual regression testing to outcome-driven delivery with automated testing and security integrated into the pipeline. The work is contingent on Skylight being awarded the underlying contract. The engineer will join a cross-functional team and work alongside government engineers and other contractors. Early work includes learning how the program currently delivers changes and identifying where testing and security practices impede delivery. The role also involves explaining technical tradeoffs to government stakeholders and coaching government partners so modern practices continue after Skylight’s engagement. Tools and processes may change as the work develops. This is a full-time, exempt, fully remote position. Work must be conducted within the United States, excluding U.S. territories. The contract requires U.S. citizenship, the ability to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) and any required special access, and successful completion of a company background check. Occasional travel to Montgomery, Alabama, and other U.S. Air Force bases is expected. The targeted start date is November 30, 2026, pending contract award. The position may be filled at Senior, Staff, or Principal level. Listed salary ranges are $150,000–$185,000 for Senior Software Engineer, $170,000–$203,000 for Staff Software Engineer, and $180,000–$230,000 for Principal Software Engineer. Skylight offers medical, dental, and vision insurance; disability and life insurance; flexible paid time off and paid federal holidays; retirement matching; parental leave; performance and business development bonuses; stock options; professional development and technology allowances; and a flexible, remote-friendly work environment.

Requirements

Ability to write clean, working, reusable code.
Ability to produce high-quality code using good practices such as automated testing.
Familiarity with building secure, compliant software and defending against common vulnerabilities.
Foundational understanding of data engineering and using datastores for persistent data in software systems.
Understanding of software system components and how they fit together, with attention to performance, reliability, and availability.
User-centered approach that considers the impact and implications of code.
Experience shipping production software in a modern web stack, including refactoring or migrating legacy web applications.
Experience working in a government or regulated environment with formal security authorization (ATO).
Experience working on cross-functional product, design, engineering, and operations teams in iterative delivery.
Track record of staying aligned and accountable on remote teams.
Work approach aligned with Skylight’s core values.
U.S. citizenship is required for this contract.
Ability to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) and any special access required for the contract.
Successful completion of a company background check.
All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories.

Nice To Haves

Angular experience.
Experience migrating applications to the cloud or a DoD software factory, such as Cloud One, MDaaS, Platform One, or similar.
Experience testing COTS-based systems such as Esri or IBM TRIRIGA.
Experience writing automated tests and working in CI/CD, ideally GitLab CI.
Experience using AI-assisted development tools alongside disciplined code review.
Experience delivering technology in government, regulated industries, or other public-benefit settings.

Responsibilities

Refactor and migrate legacy web applications onto a DoD software factory while minimizing downtime for users.
Engineer software as part of a cross-functional team of researchers, designers, product managers, and engineers.
Advocate for and follow lean-agile engineering practices, including simple design, continuous integration, version control, and automated testing.
Analyze systems to identify technical debt, instability, and other opportunities for improvement.
Design, document, and communicate technical solutions.
Explain technical tradeoffs to non-technical stakeholders and help them make decisions in a complex, multi-vendor environment.
Pair with and coach government engineers and incoming military developers so modern practices remain in place after the engagement.
Learn how the program office currently delivers changes and identify where testing and security slow delivery.

Benefits

Medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance.
Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
Life and AD&D insurance.
Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, and health savings account.
Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of salary, with no vesting period.
Flexible paid-time-off policy, generally around 25 days per year.
11 paid federal holidays.
Up to 12 weeks of paid time off for eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents.
Performance rewards, including annual salary increases, annual performance bonuses, and spot bonuses.
Stock options.
Business development and sales bonuses.
Referral bonuses.
Annual $2,000 professional development allowance.
Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases.
Annual $100 swag budget.
Flexible, remote-friendly work environment.