Staff/Principal Software Engineer (U.S. Air Force)

Skylight

5h•Remote

About The Position

At Skylight, software engineers design, implement, and maintain software systems to improve government services for users. This software is built to meet the needs of regular users of government services as well as Skylight’s partners in government. In this role, you’ll partner with a mission-critical organization within the U.S. Air Force Special Operations community to design, build, and maintain secure, scalable software systems that support highly specialized operations. You’ll apply modern engineering practices to improve complex workflows, integrate with existing defense systems, and deliver resilient solutions that enhance usability, operational efficiency, and mission readiness. Working in close collaboration with cross-functional teammates and government partners, you’ll help modernize legacy environments while ensuring performance, security, and reliability at scale.

Requirements

Ability to write clean, working, and reusable code
Can produce high-quality code by adhering to good practices such as automated testing
Familiar with how to build secure, compliant software and defend against common vulnerabilities
Experience building, optimizing, and integrating with mobile applications on iOS and Android platforms.
Possess a foundational understanding of data engineering, including how to use various datastores to handle persistent data in software systems
Understand the different pieces of software systems and how to fit them together, while keeping performance, reliability, and availability in mind
Understand the importance of always putting users at the center of your work, including thinking through the impact and implications of any code that you write
Experience delivering products in defense or similarly regulated environments
Passionate about creating better public outcomes through great government services
A mindset and work approach that align with Skylight’s core values
Ability to travel for work from time to time
All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories.
Some federal contracts require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment.
You must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without sponsorship.
As a government contractor, you may be required to obtain a public trust or security clearance, up to Top Secret.
You may be required to complete a company background check successfully.
Some of our available roles are on federal contracts that require a degree or additional years of experience as a substitute.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with software engineering best practices
Experience with multiple programming languages, to include Swift, Kotlin, and C++, and/or full-stack development
Experience working with databases and/or cloud infrastructure

Responsibilities

Engineer a mobile software product as part of a cross-functional team, which includes user experience researchers and designers, product managers, engineers, and other functional specialists
Achieve technical excellence by advocating for and adhering to lean-agile engineering principles and practices such as API-first design, simple design, continuous integration, version control, and automated testing
Select and use the right tools, frameworks, languages, and technologies for the job, with a preference for open-source solutions
Analyze systems to identify technical debt, instability, unreliability, and other opportunities for improvement, as well as design, document, and communicate solutions
Coordinate with government partners to ensure seamless integration with their existing tools and processes

Benefits

Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance
Short-term and long-term disability insurance
Life and AD&D insurance
Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, health savings account
Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of your salary with no vesting period
Flexible paid-time-off policy (generally around 25 days per year), plus 11 paid federal holidays
Up to 12 weeks paid-time-off for all eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents
Performance rewards, including annual salary increase, annual performance bonus, spot bonuses, and stock options
Business development / sales bonuses
Referral bonuses
Annual $2,000 allowance for professional development
Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases
Annual swag budget of $100 to display your Skylight pride with some merchandise (hoodies, hats, and more)
Dollar-for-dollar charity donation matching, up to $500 per year
Flexible, remote-friendly work environment
An environment that empowers you to unleash your superpowers for public good