Staff Ground Software Architect – Space Ground Systems AHT

Description

The company designs and delivers ground software for space missions, from launch and early orbit through routine on-orbit operations, as part of its Tactical Space organization.

This is a Staff-level Ground Software Architect role (grade T5) leading the design and build of next-generation ground systems for space programs.

The role is based in McLean, VA, with onsite work in a secure environment.

Relocation assistance may be available.

Responsibilities

• Act as technical leader and software architect for ground systems that support space missions.
• Define, document and evolve end-to-end ground software architectures, covering services, interfaces, data flows and integration with space and mission operations segments.
• Advise on bringing new technologies such as cloud, containerization, orchestration, automation and observability into mission systems.
• Own the full software lifecycle: requirements analysis and decomposition, architecture and design, implementation and code reviews, unit, integration and system testing, and deployment and sustainment.
• Work with systems engineering, ground operations, cybersecurity, hardware and test teams to add new capabilities to existing systems.
• Make engineering changes and system enhancements as mission needs and customer requirements evolve.
• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers, guiding design decisions, best practices and career growth.
• Write and present technical documentation and briefings to internal leadership and customers.
• Drive adoption of modern practices, tools and automation (CI/CD, containerization, infrastructure as code) to improve team efficiency and reliability.
• Lead technical planning, trade studies, system integration, verification and validation, and analysis of performance, cost, risk and supportability.
• Turn customer or product requirements into complete system solutions that balance technical, schedule and cost constraints.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in a STEM field and 12+ years of relevant software experience, or a master's degree in STEM and 10+ years of relevant software experience, or a PhD in STEM and 8+ years of relevant software experience.
• Strong background in software development and software architecture for complex systems.
• In-depth working knowledge of modern programming languages such as Python, C/C++ and Java.
• Familiarity with every phase of the software development life cycle and Agile practices.
• Prior lead or technical leadership experience in a team, such as tech lead, lead engineer or architect.
• Experience with Linux development environments and shell scripting (e.g., Bash).
• Experience with containerization (e.g., Docker, Podman) and container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes or similar).
• Experience with CI/CD and configuration management using industry-standard tools and processes (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab, Bitbucket/Jira, Git).
• An active DoD Top Secret clearance at time of application, with the ability to obtain and maintain any required special program access.
• Ability to work onsite full-time in McLean, VA in a secure environment.
• Optional: active TS/SCI clearance and current or recent program access.
• Optional: a master's degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or a closely related field.
• Optional: experience with model-based systems engineering tools (e.g., Rhapsody, Cameo), Eclipse, Atlassian tools (Jira, Bitbucket, Confluence, Crucible, Bamboo) and virtualization technologies (e.g., VirtualBox, QEMU, KVM, VMware).
• Optional: experience working in a DevOps culture with continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD).
• Optional: prior experience leading engineering personnel on a the company program, including software architecture oversight and direct work with customers and mission operators.
• Optional: proven ability to mentor and grow engineering teams and influence technical direction across a program or product line.

Conditions

Travel: 10% of the time.

Clearance is required at start.

Clearance type: Top Secret.

Salary range for the primary level: $177,000.00 to $265,600.00. This is a general guideline; the final base salary depends on factors such as the scope of the role and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Eligibility for overtime, shift differential and a discretionary bonus may depend on the position.

The application window is estimated at 20 days from the posting date and may close earlier or later depending on business needs and candidate availability.

The company is an equal opportunity employer.

Benefits

• Discretionary annual bonus tied to individual contributions and company results.
• Long-term incentives may be available for Vice President and Director positions.
• Health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a savings plan, company-paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation or personal business.