Senior Software Developer/Manager (C++ Back-End Development)

Location: San Diego, CA

Salary: $180,000-$230,000 DOE

Clearance: Current and Active Secret

Description

Our customer is seeking a highly skilled and strategic senior software professional with extensive experience in the defense sector to drive software development of critical products and programs by driving technical execution across firmware, UI/UX, AI/ML, and full stack development workstreams. This role is instrumental in aligning our technical capabilities with the mission-critical needs of our government, Department of Defense (DoD), and federal security customers. As a Senior Developer, you will be responsible for delivering best in class software products from concept through delivery, ensuring solutions are market-ready and meet the highest standards of reliability, security, and performance required in the defense sector.

On any given day, your key areas of responsibility will include:

• Software Development (70%)
• Software Development & Engineering (writing code, establishing best practices, and leading others in this capacity)
• Performing high level C++ back-end software development
• Software Team Administration (15%)
• Work collaboratively with the Product Operations Team to advance the product development process throughout the project timeline, aligning all technical workstreams under a unified product vision.
• Coordinate planning and prioritization for firmware, UI/UX, AI/ML, and full stack development teams, identifying bottlenecks or risks and escalating issues to the technical leads and product operations leadership as needed.
• Oversee a robust backlog management process, translating strategic goals into actionable tasks for the development team and properly logged in tracking tools and other documentation.
• Product Delivery & Quality Assurance (15%)
• Identify and monitor key product performance metrics, including reliability, security, and usability, that align with industry standards and regulatory requirements for defense contractors.
• Work closely with quality assurance teams to develop a high-level technical understanding of software systems to ensure product integrity, resilience, and compliance with federal security and data handling standards.
• Ensure that all product features and updates meet compliance and certification requirements mandated by DoD and other regulatory bodies.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of software development/engineering experience, specifically writing code, and performing software quality control and quality assurance.
• Demonstrated success in launching software products that meet federal security and compliance standards, including NIST, FIPS, and other relevant frameworks.
• Must be an expert back-end C++ software developer/engineer/programmer, capable of coordinating technical delivery across firmware, UI/UX and AI/ML SW engineering teams.
• 5+ years of software management experience, ideally with a background in defense, DoD, federal security, or related government sector.
• Experience working on projects or in workstreams that include machine learning, artificial intelligence, computer vision components and/or related software applications.
• Ability to obtain a DoD security clearance.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong leadership and decision-making skills, with a focus on prioritizing resources and driving cross-functional teams to deliver on mission-critical objectives.
• Ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment, with a strong attention to detail and problem-solving capabilities.
• Familiarity with secure software development practices and experience working within DoD-compliant software ecosystems.
• Prior experience supporting defense contract bidding, including proposal development, product demonstrations, and technical presentations.
• Active DoD security clearance.

#ecruit

Contact information

Amy Welther