Principal Software Engineer, Geospatial Mission Systems

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Principal Software Engineer, Geospatial Mission Systems based in United States.

This is a senior, hands-on engineering role focused on building mission-critical geospatial and situational-awareness software for complex operational environments. You will lead architecture and development while remaining deeply involved in production coding, integration, troubleshooting, and sustainment. The role combines advanced software engineering with mapping, GIS, real-time sensor integration, and intuitive visualization of operational tracks. You will translate customer and operator needs into reliable technical solutions and fielded capabilities. The position offers significant technical ownership, collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams, and direct engagement with mission stakeholders. Success requires strong engineering judgment, geospatial expertise, technical leadership, and the ability to deliver dependable systems in demanding environments.

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Accountabilities:

• Lead the architecture, development, integration, and sustainment of geospatial and situational-awareness applications supporting complex mission and defense operations.
• Design and maintain distributed software components across client, server, database, API, and networked service architectures while ensuring reliable interoperability.
• Develop map-based user interfaces and data-visualization capabilities for manned and unmanned air, surface, ground, subsurface, and related operational tracks.
• Integrate applications with radars, sensors, tracking systems, external data feeds, and mission-system interfaces, including real-time and near-real-time information sources.
• Build and enhance geospatial capabilities using vector data, terrain and elevation information, imagery, open-source mapping data, and other relevant geographic datasets.
• Design solutions for the storage, querying, transformation, dissemination, and visualization of geospatial information across distributed systems.
• Evaluate and incorporate emerging mapping technologies, open standards, data formats, and open-source components where they support mission requirements and system interoperability.
• Translate customer and operator needs into software requirements, technical designs, prototypes, production releases, and sustainable engineering solutions.
• Provide technical leadership throughout the software development lifecycle, including architecture, design reviews, coding, testing, documentation, deployment, integration, and sustainment.
• Diagnose and resolve complex software, data, networking, and systems-integration issues across development and operational environments.
• Mentor engineers and establish effective development, integration, testing, documentation, and technical-support practices.
• Build trusted working relationships with government customers, end users, systems engineers, and partner development teams while supporting demonstrations, training, documentation, and user needs.
• Contribute to technical planning, solution development, customer discussions, and roadmaps for future mission capabilities and system enhancements.

Requirements:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive software development experience, including technical leadership or ownership of complex applications and systems.
• Demonstrated experience developing mapping, GIS, geospatial visualization, or situational-awareness software, with strong practical understanding of geospatial application development.
• Strong hands-on programming expertise in Java, together with experience in at least one additional language such as JavaScript, C++, or Python.
• Experience with distributed or client-server architectures, databases, APIs, networked services, and software integration in complex technical environments.
• Experience integrating real-time or near-real-time information from sensors, radars, tracking systems, or other external data sources.
• Working knowledge of geospatial data types and services, including vector data, terrain and elevation data, imagery, OpenStreetMap, spatial databases, and web mapping services.
• Ability to lead work across requirements analysis, architecture, design, implementation, integration, testing, deployment, and long-term sustainment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to customers, operators, engineers, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with geographically distributed teams and mission stakeholders in a defense-contracting environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, geographic information science, or a related technical discipline.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance is required.
• A master’s degree in computer science, geographic information science, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience with maritime domain awareness, command and control, C2/C4ISR/C5ISR, mission planning, battlespace visualization, radar tracks, sensor fusion, track management, tactical data, or operational common-picture applications is preferred.
• Experience with geospatial frameworks or SDKs such as Leaflet, OpenMap, ArcGIS, or comparable technologies is advantageous, as is experience with PostgreSQL/PostGIS, Oracle Spatial, MySQL, or other spatially enabled databases.
• Familiarity with NGA data products and formats such as RPF, DTED, or VPF, as well as Open Geospatial Consortium standards and services such as WMS, is preferred.
• Experience contributing to open-source software, supporting technical user communities, developing simulation or training applications, or delivering software directly to U.S. Government or Department of Defense customers is advantageous.
• An active U.S. security clearance is preferred.

Benefits:

• Projected annual compensation range of $180,000–$240,000 USD, with final compensation determined by factors such as location, education, skills, experience, contract requirements, and organizational considerations.
• Comprehensive Total Rewards programs for eligible full-time and part-time employees working at least 30 hours per week on a regular basis.
• Health, life, disability, financial, and retirement benefits for eligible employees.
• Paid leave and other applicable employee benefits.
• Professional development opportunities and tuition assistance.
• Opportunity to take technical ownership of mission-critical geospatial software and contribute to capabilities supporting complex operational environments.
• Opportunity to collaborate with experienced engineers, government customers, operators, and multidisciplinary technical teams.

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How Jobgether works:

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

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