Sr. Software Architect & Engineer

Overview

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space—delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers.

• Interfacing directly with senior government leaders (civilian and military) to understand user requirements and mission needs
• Working with product owners to translate user needs into technical requirements, architecture decisions, and work items
• Advising and leading software development teams in overcoming complex data, collaboration, and design challenges
• Designing and validating architecture for a multi‑classification cloud application (NIPR, SIPR, JWICS)
• Applying Dev Sec Ops  best practices during application development and deployment
• Collaborating with government teams and contractor partners in a matrixed development environment
• Setting attainable goals for sprints, milestone planning, and product roadmap development
• Providing technical leadership on cross‑domain data integration and multi‑network deployment strategies
• Overseeing software development quality assurance and application maintenance
• Contributing to and maintaining project documentation (architecture decisions, development practices, quality guidelines)
• Managing release processes, change management, and migration strategies across classification domains
• Shaping digital integration and interface strategy for Headquarters Air Force tools and processes
• Growing departmental knowledge through technical leadership, training, and mentorship

• Minimum requirements for the Sr. Project Engineer: bachelor’s degree in STEM, with an emphasis in Computer Science or other scientific/engineering discipline
• 10 or more years of relevant experience leading software development teams and designing enterprise applications
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, organizational, and leadership skills
• Demonstrated experience advising senior leaders and translating user needs into technical solutions
• Strong background in application architecture design and technical leadership
• Experience with managing software development teams across the full stack, including UI development, data schema management, API development, UX best practices, etc.
• Experience with complex data integration across disparate systems and data sources
• Familiarity with enterprise data architecture and data modeling concepts
• Familiarity with commercial cloud technologies (e.g., Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform)
• Familiarity with containerization systems (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with cloud security concepts (e.g., network security, identity and access management)
• Familiarity with Dev Sec Ops  processes and tools (e.g., Sonar Qube, Fortify)
• Proficiency in Python, HTML, and CSS
• Experience with agile development methodologies and sprint planning
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively in a cross‑functional matrixed organization with government and contractor partners
• Willingness to travel occasionally (approximately 10%) to work location or customer site, as required
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance issued by the U.S. government
• U.S. citizenship required to obtain a security clearance

• Advanced degree in Computer Science or other scientific/engineering discipline (preferred)
• Hands‑on experience designing, implementing, and operating cloud‑based applications for real users
• Experience with cross‑domain solutions for moving data across networks (particularly upwards in classification levels)
• Experience with data operations and data lifecycle management
• Familiarity with modern front‑end frameworks
• Working knowledge of every layer in a cloud technology stack (e.g., virtualization infrastructure, operating systems, application hosting platforms, cloud‑native application design)
• Military operations experience and/or familiarity with DoD acquisitions processes
• Certif…