Principal Software Engineer, Cyber Mission Systems

This position is fully funded and ready for impact.

Location: Columbia, MD

Telework: Telework policy is being defined as this is a new contract, subject to manager approval and tasking

Clearance Required: TS/SCI with Polygraph

Salary Range: $185,000 to $205,000

At Shadow Strategies, you will join a culture defined by innovation, purpose, and meaningful impact. We seek principal software engineers who shape technical strategy, guide architectural evolution, and solve the most complex mission challenges. If you are inspired by complexity, motivated by clarity, and committed to excellence, we invite you to become part of something exceptional.

This role supports the creation of a declarative, mission-adaptable workflow interface for cyber operations. The capability will enable operators to express mission intent, define parameters and boundaries, understand system behavior, and guide automation through a unified operational experience. You will influence the design and direction of mission-critical cyber capabilities, mentor senior engineers, and help define how software, automation, and mission systems evolve to support operational outcomes. You will serve as a trusted technical leader whose decisions influence programs, architectures, and mission success across organizational boundaries.

What You’ll Do

Define the technical vision and architectural roadmap for mission-adaptable cyber operations capabilities

Lead the design of complex distributed systems supporting mission execution, automation, and operational decision-making

Serve as technical authority for software architecture, integration strategy, and system evolution

Partner with program leadership, system engineering, cybersecurity, and mission stakeholder to align technical solutions with mission priorities

Identify technical risks and drive mitigation strategies across the program lifecycle

Mentor senior engineers and provide technical leadership across the team

Lead architecture reviews and customer technical exchanges

Support proposal development, technical roadmaps, and future mission capability planning

Who This Might Be a Fit For

You are recognized as a technical leader whose influence extends beyond a single team

You have defined architectures and technical direction for large-scale software systems

You excel at solving ambiguous, high-impact technical challenges

You can balance mission requirements, operational realities, technical risk, and long-term maintainability

You are comfortable advising program leadership and customers on technical strategy

You have successfully led cross-functional engineering efforts spanning multiple teams or organizational boundaries

You enjoy mentoring senior engineers and raising technical standards across an organization

Required Skills

Large-scale software architecture

Technical leadership across multiple teams

Technological roadmap development and presentation

Risk analysis and technical decision making

Full-stack software design and development

Secure software development in classified or operationally constrained environments

Software integration across services, platforms, and data sources

CI/CD and DevOps practices

Software testing, troubleshooting, and technical documentation

Helpful Experience Areas

Offensive cyber operations or related national security mission environments

Declarative workflow systems or mission automation

Legacy system modernization and platform evolution

Operator-facing mission applications

Human-centered software development with UX teams

Real-time operational systems

Years of Experience and Degree Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field and 14 years of experience

OR an associate degree and 18 years of experience

OR 20 years of experience without a degree

Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Work Environment

Based in Columbia, MD

Telework policy is being defined as this is a new contract, subject to manager approval and tasking

Multidisciplinary teams supporting cyber mission systems in classified environments

Principal software engineers provide technical leadership across programs, influence architectural direction, and are trusted to make decisions that affect long-term mission capability, system evolution, and engineering strategy.

What Comes With It

You will have what you need to do your best work:
Fully covered health insurance for medical, dental, and vision

Paid parental leave: 16 weeks if you give birth, 4 weeks if your partner does

Flexible leave: 36 days total each year, including 25 days of PTO and 11 paid holidays

401(k) for your future

Short-term and long-term disability

Annual health stipend if you opt out of our insurance

The Extras? They’re Built In.

No points systems. No bean bags. Just clarity, autonomy, and a mission that matters.

Shadow invests in exceptional people because demanding work requires more than a paycheck. Our benefits are designed to provide meaningful support inside and outside the mission.

See our benefit plan at: https://www.shadowstrategies.io/benefits

Shadow Strategies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a workplace that values diversity and fosters inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements.

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About Shadow Strategies LLC

Shadow Strategies solves problems with innovative strategies. We approach complexity with creativity and resolve, focus on impact and quality, and embrace uncertainty in the pursuit of clarity. We do this together, for all.